Following the announcement of our 11–14 age-group finalists, the Science Without Borders® Challenge continues with the 15–19 age group. Each year, the Challenge invites students to explore the ocean through both art and science—and this year’s finalists have done just that in remarkable ways.
Representing countries across the globe, including Canada, China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and the United States, these talented young artists dive into the 2026 theme, “Microscopic Marine Life,” revealing a world that is rarely seen but deeply felt. Their artworks illuminate the hidden systems that sustain our planet, from oxygen-producing phytoplankton to deep-sea microbes driving chemical cycles far below the surface.
Through a range of creative approaches, these students transform the invisible into something tangible. Some reimagine microorganisms as vast, architectural forms or glowing ecosystems, while others focus on the delicate structures and life cycles of individual species. Many works explore powerful ideas of connection—between life and death, surface and deep sea, and humanity’s reliance on organisms too small to see.
What stands out most is not just the technical skill on display but the depth of understanding behind each piece. These artists highlight how microscopic marine life forms the foundation of ocean ecosystems, regulates Earth’s climate, and ultimately makes life as we know it possible.
We’re proud to celebrate this group of finalists, whose work challenges us to look more closely, think more deeply, and better appreciate the unseen forces shaping our world.
2026 Science Without Borders® Challenge Finalists (Ages 15-19)
THIRD PLACE: "Sea Manual" by Hyang Yu Lee, Age 17, Republic of Korea
ARTIST’S STATEMENT: Flat-pack furniture manuals can be understood by anyone, even without words. Embedded within the format is a belief that anyone can complete a complex structure if they understand its sequence and principles. This work applies that same logic to marine microorganisms. When a marine organism dies, it sinks to the ocean floor. Bacteria decompose the carcass, breaking down organic matter into inorganic nutrients that circulate back to the surface, feeding phytoplankton and forming the bedrock for new life. Marine bacteria act as a bridge between the living and the non-living. If this cycle breaks, the entire oceanic food chain halts. This project recreates that ecological process as a manual, photographed against an actual seashore. Each step translates the decomposition cycle into a language anyone can follow. Just as understanding a manual allows anyone to build furniture, understanding marine microorganisms makes protecting them a responsibility shared by us all.
Stay tuned! We will announce the winners in the next couple of weeks.
