The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has announced that its annual “Get Into Your Sanctuary” Photo Contest starts today.
There are categories for photos taken in national marine sanctuaries both above and below the water, as well as special categories for photos taken outside of the National Marine Sanctuary System.
According to NOAA, the specific categories include:
- Sanctuary Views: Share your photos of beautiful sunsets or scenic shots of your favorite national marine sanctuary.
- Sanctuary Life: Send us your best photos of sanctuary inhabitants like fish, birds, marine mammals, and other amazing ocean creatures.
- Sanctuary Recreation: Enter your best images of people responsibly enjoying national marine sanctuaries, whether they’re boating, kayaking, diving, swimming, or just hanging out on the beach.
- Sanctuaries at Home: Show us how you’re connecting to your National Marine Sanctuary System from home! Submissions to this category must follow the guidance of Sanctuary Recreation, Sanctuary Life, and Sanctuary Views but can also include photos of stewardship activities from your home or neighborhood, or sanctuary-related artwork (paintings, drawings, etc.).
- Sanctuaries Around the World: Ocean connection can happen anywhere, not just in the National Marine Sanctuary System. Following the guidance of Sanctuary Recreation, Sanctuary Life, and Sanctuary Views, show us where you connect to the ocean by submitting your photos, from anywhere in the world, to the “Sanctuaries Around the World” category of our photo contest. Submissions to this category can include photos taken in the United States, but outside of a national marine sanctuary, as well as photos taken outside of the United States. We recommend that these images consist of photos taken in the wild of marine life or bodies of water close to you. Submissions of photos from zoos, aquariums, or other indoor establishments are not encouraged.
Photos can be submitted from today, Friday, May 26th, 2023 until Monday, September 4th, 2023.
For the full contest rules and to submit your photos, go to sanctuaries.noaa.gov.
