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)
SECOND PLACE: "The Deep Microcosm of Life" by Qing Yang Cheng, Age 17, Canada
ARTIST’S STATEMENT: Beneath the dark, remote world of hydrothermal vents, microscopic archaea power entire ecosystems. A cross-section of the “Pyrolobus fumarii” reveals its generative inner workings that use chemosynthesis to transform vent chemicals into food, forming the foundation of deep-sea food webs. The crucial role hydrothermal vent archaea play as primary producers is reinforced by the cluster of microbes magnified to radiate light, representing the brilliance of the life that sustains the surrounding deep-sea marine community. “Methanopyrus kandleri” interlace into lines that converge in the center of a cyclical shape that symbolizes the global cycles of carbon and methane these archaea contribute to. The use of pointillism and visual contrast between luminous microbes and encircling darkness mirror the dichotomy between the minuscule scale of microbes and the immense vitality they support. It evokes a sense of awe at how tiny life underpins hydrothermal vent ecosystems and the planet’s key geochemical cycles.
Stay tuned! We will announce the winners in the next couple of weeks.
