Science without Borders® Challenge 2025 - International Art Contest

The 2025 Science Without Borders® Challenge

The theme for the 2025 Science without Borders® Challenge is “Marine Keystone Species.” Keystone species play a crucial role in keeping ocean ecosystems healthy and balanced. To apply for this year’s contest, students should submit artwork featuring a keystone species that lives in the ocean, highlighting this creature’s vital role in its marine ecosystem.

Learn About the Theme - Marine Keystone Species

The 2025 Science Without Borders® Challenge theme is “Marine Keystone Species.” This year, we want you to create artwork that shows a marine keystone species— animals or plants that play a crucial role in keeping ocean ecosystems healthy and balanced. To enter the contest, submit your artwork featuring a keystone species that lives in the ocean, highlighting this creature’s vital role in its marine ecosystem. 

What is a keystone species?

A keystone species is a plant or animal that plays such an important role in its ecosystem that if it were to disappear, the entire ecosystem would change dramatically. Although it might not be the most numerous or largest species, its presence or absence can have a big impact on the environment.

The term “keystone” comes from how arches are built. At the top of an arch is a special stone called the keystone. This keystone is essential because it holds the entire arch together. Without it, the arch would collapse since the other stones would not stay in place.

Similarly, a keystone species is essential for maintaining the balance of its ecosystem. Just like the keystone in an arch, these species help keep the whole ecosystem stable by supporting many other plants and animals around them. 

What is an ecosystem?

An ecosystem is a community of living (biotic) things, like plants, animals, and microorganisms, interacting with each other and their environment. This includes non-living (abiotic) things like water, air, and soil. Everything in an ecosystem works together to create a balanced environment where each species has a role to play.

For this contest, you can explore different marine ecosystems. Choose a keystone species—either a plant or animal—that lives in the ocean to feature in your artwork. Here are some marine ecosystems you can consider:

• Coral reefs
• Seagrass meadows
• Mangrove forests
• Sandy beaches
• Rocky shorelines
• Salt marshes
• Intertidal zones
• Estuaries
• Kelp forests
• Polar ecosystems (Arctic and Antactic
• Deep sea ecosystems, such as hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, and deep-sea reefs
• Open ocean
  

How do keystone species impact ecosystems?

Keystone species are crucial because they help maintain the structure and health of their ecosystems. For example:

• Beavers are keystone species in freshwater ecosystems. They build dams that create wetlands, which provide habitats for various plants and animals. Without beavers, these wetlands might not exist, and many species would lose their homes.
• African elephants are a keystone species in savannah ecosystems. They are known as “ecosystem engineers” because they shape the landscape in many ways. For example, by uprooting trees, they create open areas. This prevents any one type of plant from taking over, allowing grasslands to thrive and support a variety of animals that rely on these open spaces for food and habitat. Without elephants, the savannah could become overgrown with trees.

Please note that these examples are from freshwater and savannah ecosystems and should not be used for this marine-themed art contest.