NOAA’s annual Marine Debris Art Contest continues to attract creative students able to spread the message about how loose trash can escape into the ocean and harm sea creatures.
Image: Courtesy of NOAA
“The ocean is the ocean animals’ home, not a trash can,” writes Zilan C., a Michigan second-grader who drew the first picture on this page. “Everyone should keep the debris out of the ocean and save the ocean animals’ home!”
“Plastics, rubber, paper and other lost or discarded items enter the ocean and lakes everyday,” said Yufei F., a Michigan fifth grader who created the second piece. “Everyone can do our part in reducing and preventing marine debris. We can also join in cleaning the beach and clean our streets. When everyone takes action, we can keep our ocean clean.”
Image: Courtesy of NOAA
More than 450 entries were submitted to the national contest this year. The 13 winning entries will become part of a 2019 Marine Debris Calendar, with artwork adorning the cover and representing each month. The calendar will be available for download later this year.
The 2018 calendar can be downloaded now from the website of NOAA’s Marine Debris Program. Entries for the annual art contest are submitted in the fall.
Organizers do not release the full names of the winners or even the name of the town they are from, but a first-grade student from Washington state, Lillie H., was listed among the winners this year.
Image: Courtesy of NOAA
“Marine debris impacts sea life and our ecosystems,” Lillie writes. “I will use less plastic material to help keep our waters clean.”
Perhaps my favorite picture of all time is still the one entered in 2013 by Minty Little, who was a seventh grader at Fairview Junior High School in Central Kitsap at the time. See Water Ways, March 18, 2013. (Minty’s school released her full name.) I guess the NOAA folks must like the picture too, because it remains the banner artwork for the website promoting the art contest.
All 13 winners can be seen in the Flickr slideshow below. Click on any image to see the artist’s quote about marine debris. For information about marine debris, including graphics and videos, go to the Discover Page of the Marine Debris Program.
