2024 Ocean Challenge
This year, we achieved a major innovation by not only holding the finalists’ presentation but also adding a one-day tour. Additionally, for the first time, the event location was moved out of Kaohsiung and held at the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium (NMMBA) in Pingtung. NMMBA is a treasure trove of marine knowledge spanning centuries, and it is also ranked as one of the top ten aquariums in the world, making it a source of pride for Taiwan.
On the first day of the event, the finalist teams participated in various activities including the Blue Whale Explanation Course, Penguin Feeding Explanation, an in-depth tour of the Waters of Taiwan, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the exhibition hall. That night, they stayed overnight in the Waters of Taiwan, sleeping with the fish and immersing themselves in the marine world for a whole day.
The second day featured the achievement presentation conference. Notably, the SeaHeart Clique team from Malaysia attended the event in person. Twelve finalist teams delivered impressive proposal presentations.
From the marine museum visit and overnight stay to the final presentations, the event aimed to inspire the teams to reflect on and gain new insights into the marine environment. This year, we also invited Dr. Katy Croff Bell, founder and president of the Ocean Discovery League and an explorer with the National Geographic Society, to give a keynote speech titled "Deep Sea Exploration." She shared her deep-sea research career and the current state and future of ocean exploration, offering us a glimpse into the mysterious deep-sea world and reshaping our understanding of the ocean.
2024 Ocean Challenge
2023 Ocean Challenge
After the pandemic situation eased, physical events were successfully organized this year. There were a total of 62 proposals registered, and 24 teams stood out and entered the final stage, including 6 international teams. Although the international teams were unable to participate on-site, they engaged in online activities on Youth Dialogue with the Ocean Affairs Council and AIT/K Interactive Discussion in April, and finalists presentations in June. By overcoming time zone and distance limitations, this event has become an international platform for young people in the marine sector. This year, the event also invited Dr. Dmitry Dukhovskoy, a physical scientist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to introduce how NOAA utilizes scientific tools to collect data on the Earth's atmospheric and oceanic environments. This helps us better understand global changes in the marine environment and assist in analyzing how to protect the oceans. Bi-Ling Kuan, minister of the Ocean Affairs Council stated, "Every participant is an actively nurtured ocean guardian. Each team presents innovative solutions with science at their core, hoping to reverse the problems faced by the oceans and continue to implement their proposals in the future. The sustainable ocean created by young people starts here!"
2023 Ocean Challenge (Day 1)
2023 Ocean Challenge (Day 2)
2023 Best Propasal Award
The team from National Taiwan University focused on the issue of water scarcity potentially caused by climate change with their project titled "Yellow River Waters Descend from the Sky." They employed membrane distillation technology as a solution, transforming seawater into drinking water, and were awarded the "Best Proposal Award." Traditional desalination methods require high heat and electricity, contributing to climate change. The developed system by the team will aid in mitigating climate change and incorporates natural solutions to achieve a circular economy and climate justice, further incorporating the concept of the carbon cycle. To reduce the cost of membrane production, the team used an electrostatic spraying industrial process to apply low-cost carbon black from discarded tires over large areas (1m²/hour), developing photothermal responsive membranes. These were tested in novel nanophotonic photothermal membrane distillation, utilizing the endless solar energy to purify the vast seawater resources, with a prototype capable of purifying 60 liters of seawater per day for drinking. From membrane production to membrane device assembly, all can be immediately applied to real-life scenarios. Additionally, by addressing social action, it effectively mitigates global warming and solves waste problems. Compared to widely used reverse osmosis technology, it requires only half the energy to produce double the amount of water resources. This system showcases technological innovation, market potential, and sustainable value, and can be integrated with agriculture, fisheries, and livestock, achieving energy savings and carbon reduction. Like a magician with a magic mirror, it carefully manages water, preserving Taiwan's beautiful mountains and waters.
2022 Ocean Challenge
Year after year, the event's scope has grown. Youth and international groups are added to strengthen international ocean affairs capabilities and achieve the event's objectives. These groups collect the knowledge of young people and experts in Taiwan and abroad. 35 teams participated in total, and 19 made the final cut. The counseling events and seminars were postponed due to the domestic pandemic, but the 2022 International Ocean Challenge Taiwan was successfully held online. Huai-Pu Chen, our Taiwanese youth representative for the 2022 Our Ocean Conference and Dr. Jeremy Werdell, an oceanographer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center's Marine Ecology Laboratory, gave memorable speeches and shared their experiences. The occasion also used Youtube's live-streaming feature, enabling the participants' accomplishments to be shared and preserved across more platforms.
2022 Ocean Challenge (Day 1)
2022 Ocean Challenge (Day 2)
2021 Ocean Challenge
21 teams of students from high schools and universities in Taiwan's north, central, south, and east participated. Ten teams were chosen to compete in the final round, which was judged by five marine education experts and scholars. The interactive counseling and environmental protection activities took place on December 15, 2019. However, because of the worldwide pandemic, the 2021 Ocean Challenge Taiwan was continued online. On the day of the event, attendees connected online and learned from Dr. Linwood Pendleton, Senior Vice-President for Science at the Centre for the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Ocean, who discussed his expertise in marine policy, including the use of data technology to advance marine conservation and resolve marine issues.
2020 Ocean Challenge
For the first time, a promotional tour presentation was given to the educational teams in Taiwan's North, Central, South, and East to explain the ideas and objectives of this event. On December 16, 2019, interactive activities involving counseling and environmental protection occurred, and on November 3, the 2020 Ocean Challenge took place. Eight student teams participated, and Mr. Eben Schwartz, the Marine Debris Program Manager of the California Coastal Commission, spoke to them about plastic pollution, marine debris, and marine environmental issues.
2019 Ocean Challenge
We invited Dr. Jenna Jambeck, an associate professor at the University of Georgia in the United States, to deliver a themed speech during the event's inaugural year. Dr. Jambeck has more than 20 years of experience in solid waste research, is an expert in global waste management and plastic pollution, and has been working on research projects involving marine waste since 2001. The student team took part in a total of 6 groups; the high school students shared their sharp observations and original ideas. The results increased the organizer's confidence that the event must go on.
