Ocean in Focus
Conservation Photography Contest
Guidelines

International Coastal Cleanup in Malaysia. (Liew Shan Sern/Marine Photobank)	Sea turtle entangled in fishing gear. (Greenpeace ©, Carè ©/Marine Photobank)	White band disease on coral. (Craig Quirolo, Reef Relief/Marine Photobank)	A bridge build out of derelict fishing gear. (Todd Steiner, Sea Turtle Restoration Project/Marine Photobank)

See links below for more contest details:

Contest Home page >>
Photo Submission Instructions >>
Recommended Themes >>
Categories >>
Rules >>
Prizes >>

Photo Submission Instructions

1. Read the Rules
Visit the rules page to learn more.

2. Register on the Marine Photobank
To submit your photos to the contest, each participant registers on the Marine Photobank and agrees to the terms of use. Apply for a Contributor Membership to upload photos to the competition. If you wish to download photos from our database you may also apply for either Non-Media or Media Downloader status. Once your account is active, after a brief evaluation period, you will be able to upload your photos.

3. Upload Your Photos
Please properly label and provide detailed information for each photo for entry into the contest. See below for details.

A) Titling Your Photos
Once logged in, access the Upload Image screen of the Marine Photobank and label your image(s) in the following manner:

The title of each photo should include your first initial followed by your last name, the two-letter category code (ED or HO, see below) and the number of the submission to that category.

For example, a photo submitted by John Doe for the "Ecosystem Decline/Species of Concern" category should be named as follows: "JDoeED1." Subsequent photos to the same category should be named "JDoeED2" and so on. (Title codes are listed with the contest categories.)

To assure that your entries are accepted, fill out as much information as possible in the subsequent fields for each image.

B) Select the Appropriate Contest Category
Below the information fields, select the appropriate gallery check box with each photo.

For each image, choose one of the following contest categories as shown below:

Photo Contest: Ecosystem Decline/Species of Concern 2009(Category Code: ED)
Photo Contest: Humans and the Ocean: Impacts and Solutions 2009(Category Code: HO)

These categories are the last two check boxes on the gallery list.

Then submit.

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Contest Categories

Ecosystem Decline/Species of Concern (Category Code: ED):

Images in this category will highlight species and ecosystems of concern and the threats they face. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Coral reef damage, disease or bleaching
• Disappearing and endangered species, such as sharks, polar bears, corals, sea turtles and sturgeon
• Ocean dumping or discarded debris
• Fishing practices such as small and large-scale fishing
• Illegal fishing activities
• Coastal development

Humans and the Ocean: Impacts and Solutions (Category Code: HO):

Images in this category will depict the hand of humanity affecting our ocean, highlighting either the positive or negative impacts. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Sustainable and unsustainable fishing practices
• Communities impacted by sea level rise
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Divers or beach goers collecting trash
• Reef conservation activities
• Underwater research, monitoring and rehabilitation efforts
• Oil spill clean ups
• Mooring buoy installations

Check out the contest prizes!

Recommended Themes

This photo competition is meant to depict real challenges facing our ocean environments today and to inspire positive change. Value will be placed on high-quality images that deliver powerful conservation messages.

We challenge you to turn your lens in a different direction. Beautiful wildlife imagery is abundant and often implies that our ocean is healthy. This contest is a unique opportunity to help reverse its precipitous decline by uncovering the true state of the ocean.

High quality images with content that will most attract the attention of judges include the following themes:

Marine Pollution and Trash
Plastic and other debris
Animal entangled in debris
Oil spills
Trash clean up efforts
Sewage outfalls

Fishing
Intense commercial fishing
Bottom trawling
Bycatch
Longline fishing
Illegal/unreported fishing
Indigenous/sustainable fishing practices
Shark fins/finning

Global Warming/Climate Change
Disappearance of arctic sea ice
Melting glaciers
Impacts of sea level rise
Ocean natural hazards
Global warming

Near Shore Habitat
Nutrient pollution from sewage, coastal runoff, agriculture or other sources
Dumping of trash and debris
Coastal development

Reefs in Peril
Coral bleaching
Coral disease
Reef damage from anchors, blast fishing and other impacts

Marine Species of Concern
Polar bears
Tuna
Sea turtles
Sharks
Swordfish
Whales
Seals
Seabirds
Others

Marine Research and Enforcement
In-field monitoring
Coastal/underwater cleanup
Species rehabilitation and release
Protection of sea turtle nesting beaches

Restoration Efforts
Coastal cleanups
Habitat restoration
Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation efforts
Oil spill cleanups

Marine Education/Research
In the field research
Ecotours
Community clean up efforts

Marine Industrial Use
Industrial freighter vessels
Oil spills/vessel wrecks
Coastal power plants
Oil and gas platforms/refineries
Sewage outfall

Marine Reserves/Marine Protected Areas
Wildlife sanctuaries
Protected magrove forests
Protected reefs

Global Fish Markets
Fish markets
Shark fins/finning

For more ideas and examples of ocean conservation themes and imagery, we suggest you view the Marine Photobank gallery collection.

Humpback mother and calf. (Silke Stuckenbrock, Silke Photo 2008/Marine Photobank)	Seabirds surrounded by marine debris. (Claire Fackler, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries/Marine Photobank)	Coral souvenirs on display. (Sebastian Ferse 2008/Marine Photobank)	Crab entangled in fishing gear. (Susie Holst, NOAA/Marine Photobank)

Contest Sponsored By:

www.projectaware.org		www.marinephotobank.org
		www.seaweb.org

Thank You to Our Prize Donors!

www.matava.com		www.talbotcollection.com
www.nativeenergy.com		www.aseachange.net
www.azustudio.com		www.tooprecioustowear.org