2025 Science Without Borders® Challenge Finalists: 15-19 year old students
The response to our 2025 Science Without Borders® Challenge has been overwhelming! We’ve been blown away by the sheer number of submissions we received from aspiring young scientists and artists worldwide. These gifted students come from all over the globe, including The Bahamas, Canada, China, Greece, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, and the United States. Their artwork brings the 2025 theme, “Marine Keystone Species,” to life in extraordinary ways. From intricate illustrations of krill and coral to impactful portrayals of sharks, sea otters, polar bears, mangroves, and more, each piece highlights the essential roles these species play in maintaining ocean balance and biodiversity.
Entries to the Science Without Borders® Challenge are judged in two categories based on age. Here are the finalists selected from the older group of applicants, students 15-19 years old:
"Star of the Earth" by Yeonseo Lauren Lee, Age 17, Republic of Korea
ARTIST'S STATEMENT: By suppressing the population of mussels and barnacles, starfish help ensure healthy populations of sea urchins and sea snails, which are seaweed-eating communities. Keystone Specifics, which starfish belong to, are responsible for protecting and maintaining the balance of the entire Earth's ecosystem. The underwater was created as if it were photographed with fish-eye lenses, and the starfish were placed in the center of the screen and colored with high saturation and prominent colors to focus on the main theme. The distortion of the fish-eye lens produces the same effect as the entire screen being rolled up, and by using this, we tried to reveal the theme that starfish are protecting the Earth by naturally mixing the shape of the Earth with the sea and seaweed.