OSWEGO COUNTY – Calling all divers, boaters, anglers, paddlers, birders and photogs! Grab your camera and capture your summer of fun and recreation in the proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary. Then, share your adventures online in a nationwide photo contest.

The competition is an annual summer event hosted by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS). It runs now through Monday, September 5 and this year’s theme ‘Get Into Your Sanctuary’ celebrates the 50th anniversary of the NMS system.

Photographers of all skill levels – aged 13 years and older – are invited to participate.

Pictures can be submitted in any of the following four categories:

• Sanctuary Recreation: shows responsible recreation on, in or near a sanctuary, such as swimming, boating or enjoying the beach. Follow public health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health departments.
• Sanctuary Views: shows the scenic beauty of the sanctuaries, such as sunrises, sunsets and weather photos.
• Sanctuary Life: shows sanctuary inhabitants such as birds, fish and marine mammals. Follow NOAA wildlife viewing guidelines at https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wildlife-viewing/ to ensure inhabitants are not disturbed. Help NOAA highlight best wildlife photography practices by indicating what kind of camera/lens was used and the approximate distance from the subject.
• Sanctuaries at Home: shows the personal connection to sanctuaries, such as photos of stewardship activities or sanctuary-related artwork.

Photographers may use one Google form to submit up to 10 photographs. Find the form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5S9xxwpAJv1lFEnb7QIzg3zfWszZrUCAfJ6cBn_FojenknQ/viewform or send your photos in an email to earthisblue@noaa.gov.

Each photo must be a minimum of 1200 pixels wide and contain no watermarks. They must also include the photographer’s name, date and location of the snapshot, and a brief description of the image.

Winning photographs will be announced in October 2022 and featured in the “Earth is Blue” magazine and social media campaign in 2023.

Learn more about national marine sanctuaries by following NOAA’s Office of NMS on social media. Photographers are encouraged to tell their friends about the contest on social media by using #ILoveMySanctuary and #RecreateResponsibly.

For more information about the photo contest, go to: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=GovDelivery or email earthisblue@noaa.gov.

The proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary encompasses more than 1,700 square miles in eastern Lake Ontario. It will protect and showcase dozens of shipwrecks and other historically significant underwater assets. NOAA announced its intent to designate the marine sanctuary in April 2019, and in mid-2021 released draft documents related to the proposed sanctuary. For more information on the proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary, visit https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/lake-ontario/.


‘GET INTO YOUR SANCTUARY’ – NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries invites photographers to join a photo contest to celebrate its 50th anniversary! “Get Into Your Sanctuary” is the theme for this year’s competition. Pictured is photographer Jill Wood’s photo described as “chalk art of dreaming of diving the Christ of Abyss statue and the goliath groupers that lurk in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary,” which won second place in the “Sanctuaries at Home” category in last year’s contest. For details, go to https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=GovDelivery.