SeaDoc Society announces photography contest

The SeaDoc Society is excited to announce the launch of its first Salish Sea in Focus photography contest. It wants to showcase the Salish Sea marine ecosystem from your perspective and will be accepting photo submissions from now until June 4.

The competition offers more than $6,000 in cash prizes including a $1,000 overall grand prize. The top 100 photos will be featured on an IMAX screen at a gala at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle on October 4. The contest is open to photographers of all skill levels.

The contest will be judged by three of the region’s most celebrated photographers, Amy Gulick, Cristina Mittermeier and Kevin Shafer.

The Salish Sea is an inland sea that encompasses Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands and the waters off of Vancouver, British Columbia. SeaDoc is looking for photos taken above and below the water.

Submission for the 2018 Salish Sea in Focus contest opened Friday, April 20.

More than $6,000 in cash prizes, including:

– One grand prize of $1,000

– Five first-place prizes $500 in each category

– Five second-place prizes $250 in each category

– Five third-place prizes $100 in each category

– Plus a first, second, and third prize for entrants under 18 years old (regardless of category)

Special recognition for the top 100 images:

– Featured on the contest website (homepage and gallery) for one year.

– Reception and awards presentation for winners with photos displayed at Pacific Science Center on October 4 in Seattle.

The Salish Sea in Focus photography competition highlights the beauty and biodiversity of the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea is an inland sea that encompasses Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands and the waters off of Vancouver, British Columbia. The area spans from Olympia, Washington in the south to the Campbell River, British Columbia in the north, and west to Neah Bay.

The contest is presented by The SeaDoc Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. SeaDoc has worked since 2001 to protect and improve the health of marine wildlife and its ecosystem through science and education.

Categories are:

– Birds and Mammals of the Salish Sea – Wild birds and mammals of the Salish Sea marine ecosystem

– Fish of the Salish Sea – Marine and anadromous (migrating up rivers to spawn, i.e. salmon), underwater, intertidal or at the surface.

– ‘Scapes of the Salish Sea – Salish Sea vistas of all varieties including underwater, seascapes, shorescapes and landscapes

– Invertebrates, plants, and kelp of the Salish Sea – Any of the more than 3,000 marine invertebrates of the Salish Sea, underwater or intertidal

– People of the Salish Sea – Humans interacting with the ecosystem (swimming, boating, diving, wildlife watching, diving, beach combing, fishing, etc.)

Open to all photographers worldwide. Images must be taken by the person entering them. All images should capture the Salish Sea ecosystem and the wildlife and people who call it home.

Enter as many images as you’d like at $10 per image or six images for $50.

Digital upload is required, but images may have been created with any kind of camera.

Reminder: Deadline extended to midnight, Monday, June 4.

The photos should capture the Salish Sea marine ecosystem and the wildlife and people who call it home.

For more information, visit seadoc.contestvenue.com/.