The Save Our Seas Foundation is reminding underwater shutterbugs that the Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year competition opens for entries on November 1st and closes on January 7th, 2023.
The conservation portion of the competition is sponsored by the Save Our Seas Foundation and is part of the overall Underwater Photographer of the Year competition. The conservation contest is free to enter and offers cash prizes for the first, second and third placed photographs.
The Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year contest is open to both above-water and underwater photographs. Photographs must highlight a marine conservation story or theme, with both positive and negative stories encouraged. Freshwater themed conservation images are also accepted.
According to judges chair Alex Mustard:
“Powerful photographs are able to change hearts, minds and attitudes. Conservation imagery is especially important from the oceans, which faces many threats from our activities. However, these issues mostly happen unwitnessed, out of sight of land or beneath the surface. This contest gives these valuable images a huge public platform.”
While Dr. James Lea, CEO of the Save Our Seas Foundation, said:
“Images have a profound capacity to affect how people view the world, and at SOSF we are all about encouraging positive change in how people view and interact with the marine environment. As such we are delighted to partner with the Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year award, which is uniquely placed to highlight issues our oceans are facing and inspire change.”
Previous editions of the contest have attracted entries from photographers around the world, keen to draw attention to conservation issues, campaigns and success stories important to them. The award was most recently won by Thien Nguyen Ngoc from Vietnam, with his aerial photograph “Big Appetite.” The photo shows boats straining the waters for anchovies in the Phu Yen province of his country.
To submit an entry for the competition — be it Marine Conservation or any one of the other categories — go to www.underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com.
