TAPinto
by Meagan Kane
Published May 15, 2026
BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — With this year’s theme being “Microscopic Marine Life,” the Science Without Borders Challenge combines art, ocean science and conservation awareness.
Organized by the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, students participated from 65 countries, and 900 entries were submitted. Open to students ages 11–19, Sophia (Jiye) Lee, 17, a student at Bergen County Academies, scored first place in the 15–19 age category.
The young artists were asked to create artwork inspired by microscopic marine organisms and their role in sustaining marine ecosystems, oxygen production, Earth’s climate and ocean food webs.
Lee’s winning artwork, titled Ocean’s Hidden Jewel Box, is a mixed media piece created on a custom-shaped wooden canvas and reimagines microscopic marine organisms as glowing, jewel-like forms.
“When people see my work, I hope they recognize that significance is not defined by scale,” Lee said. “I want them to feel a sense of awe for the unseen and to realize that impact can extend beyond just the source. Just as my piece breaks traditional borders of a canvas, the contribution of these organisms breaks the borders of the ocean to sustain every breath we take, no matter where we are.”
Inspired by oxygen molecules, her art emphasizes the importance of marine microorganisms that produce more than half of the oxygen humans breathe. The message behind Lee’s work is to highlight the beauty of unseen marine life and connect ocean health directly to human survival.
Her achievement stands out because of the highly competitive international field. Leaders say winning artworks demonstrated both artistic creativity and scientific understanding.
