Winners of the 2020 Science Without Borders® Challenge
The 2020 Science Without Borders® Challenge invited students from around the world to “Take Action: Conserve Coral Reefs,” inspiring them to create artwork that highlights how we can protect these vital ecosystems. With over 650 submissions from 43 countries, this year’s contest showcased an incredible range of talent and creativity. Students illustrated diverse conservation efforts, from reducing pollution and educating communities to restoring coral reefs through active stewardship.
High school first-place winner Stacey Lei from the United States captured the power of education in her piece, “The Reef We Read,” emphasizing how awareness can drive positive change for coral reefs. Middle school first-place winner Anish Aradhey’s “Coral Reef Superhero” highlighted the impact of small, everyday actions, portraying a young girl cleaning up beach litter to protect marine life. Their artwork, along with other winning pieces, demonstrated not just artistic skill but a deep understanding of coral reef conservation.
By participating in the challenge, students learned how human activities affect coral reefs and discovered ways individuals can make a difference. The contest encouraged them to explore environmental issues creatively, fostering both artistic expression and a passion for marine conservation. Through their art, these young ocean advocates are inspiring a global audience to take action for coral reefs.
Winners & Finalists Ages 11-14:
First Place: "Coral Reef Superhero" by Anish Aradhey, Age 14, United States
My artwork illustrates one example of action that can help conserve coral reefs: cleaning up beaches. I portrayed a young girl picking up beach trash to show the importance of youth regarding coral reef conservation. The girl wears a cape, representing how those who take care our coral reefs are real-life superheroes. The girl is alone, representing how action can start with just one person. The sunset in the background represents hope for the future, which is further visualized by the vibrant coral reef behind the girl. To summarize, the littered beach in my painting shows a current challenge for coral reefs, the girl demonstrates a small yet heroic action to solve this issue, and the colorful colorful reef background represents a positive goal that we all must work toward. All in all, my painting aims to thank coral reef “superheroes” and inspire a new generation of young, active leaders.
Winners & Finalists Ages 15-19:
Third Place: “Flourishing Coral Reef” on Our Hands by Yujean Choi, Age 16, Republic of Korea
There is a globe-like ocean created because I thought that a healthy marine ecosystem can represent a healthy Earth. The recycling logo surrounding this sphere has been borrowed as it represents the example of Earth-protecting actions. By using contrasting colors such as green(vitality), and gray(death), the positive actions and negative effects were juxtaposed. The right arrow indicates the change in actions to riding a bicycle will protect nature. The arrow on the left proposes to wear rash guards rather than using sunscreens with two compounds (drawn in the arrow) which puts a fatal effect on coral. From these three arrows, I thought people's actions to save coral could lower the rising temperature of the sea and improve the water quality, which would enable us to regain coral reefs and the marine ecosystem. The large hand emphasizes that the solution to protect the coral lies in our hands.
