Around the Reef

By Ashley Misiaszek

Communications Intern Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Sanctuary Life 1st Place: Humpback whales feed on anchovies in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo by Douglas Croft

June 8 marked World Oceans Day, a global day of ocean celebrations and collaboration to create a better aquatic future for our planet. It’s no secret that the ocean has a great impact on our lives, and it’s up to us humans to care for it. This annual celebration inspires us to continually protect it so that the entire ocean can be as healthy and vibrant as Gray’s Reef.

June also is a great time to work on your camera skills while enjoying the beauty of our ocean. This year’s Get Into Your sanctuary Photo Contest, hosted by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, will enjoy a long stretch from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend (Sept. 2). We encourage fishermen and divers to go out to Gray’s Reef and take some great photos, either fishing from a boat or for advanced diver/photographers, underwater shots! Winning photos will be featured in next year's Earth Is Blue Magazine and on the Earth Is Blue social media campaign. We are hungry for fishing photos, especially.

The photo contest has new categories this year. They are:

Sanctuary Recreation: Your best images of people enjoying national marine sanctuaries, whether they're boating, diving, swimming, or conducting research.

Sanctuary Views: Photos of beautiful sunsets or scenic shots of your favorite national marine sanctuary.

Sanctuary Life: Photos of sanctuary inhabitants like fish, loggerhead sea turtles, dolphins, sand dollars, octopuses, sea stars, crabs, birds, and other amazing ocean creatures.

And speaking of Earth Is Blue and World Ocean Day, do you know why the National Marine Sanctuary System uses the Earth Is Blue tagline? When you look at our planet from space, one thing is abundantly clear, the earth is blue! Ours is an ocean planet, and whether you live near the coast or a thousand miles from it, the ocean is part of your life. From providing the food we eat to determining our weather, the ocean matters to each of us — and our national marine sanctuaries protects this vital resource.

To learn more about this year’s photo contest, please visit: sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.html

For more information, email: michelle.riley@noaa.gov or call (912) 598-2345

Sanctuary Life 2nd Place: A brown pelican flies over Asilomar State Beach in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo by Sam Bailey

Sanctuary Views 1st Place: Waves along Asilomar State Beach, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo by Sam Bailey Sanctuary Views 1st Place: Inspiration Point on Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Photo by Donna Hendricks

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