Photo Competition for UN World Oceans Day
The annual Photo Competition for UN World Oceans Day is hosted by the United Nations, curated by Ellen Cuylaerts and a jury composed of world-renowned individuals.
PAVLOS EVANGELIDIS (2024), ABOVE WATER SEASCAPES, HONORABLE MENTION
2025 Photo Competition for UN World Oceans Day
The 2025 Photo Competition for UN World Oceans Day is free and open to the public. The 12th Annual competition is intended to explore four thematic categories open for submission. The categories are purposefully broad to encourage photographers' interpretations and artistic visions.
2025 Categories
for Photo Contest
- Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us
- Underwater Seascapes
- Big and Small Underwater Faces
- Above Water Seascapes
Jennifer Johnson (2022), Ocean Critters, 2nd Place
2025 Judges
The competition is curated by Ellen Cuylaerts and composed of a jury of world-renowned individuals.
Ipah Uid Lynn
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER MALAYSIA
William Tan
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER SINGAPORE
Vanessa Mignon
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER FRANCE
Marcello Di Francesco
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER ITALY
Ellen Cuylaerts
CURATOR & UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER BELGIUM
The 2025 Photo Competition for UN World Oceans Day is coordinated in collaboration between the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, DivePhotoGuide (DPG), Oceanic Global, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.
Thank you to Dive Photo Guide for their ongoing support of the UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition.
JACOPO BRUNETTI (2021), OCEAN, LIFE and LIVELIHOODS, 2nd place
Small Island Developing States
The 2024 Competition will feature a category on Small Island Developing States, helping to mark the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States. This category is organized in partnership with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, and offers entrants the chance to have their images featured at the Conference, to be held in Antigua and Barbuda from 27-30 May 2024.
LEARN MORECaine Delacy (2019), ABOVE water Seascapes, 2nd Place
10th Anniversary of the Photo Competition
Discover the 10th anniversary of the Photo Competition in celebration of UN World Oceans Day! The Photography for Sustainable Oceans exhibit draws on winning entries from past editions of the competition.
Explore the Exhibit
ADRIANO MORETTIN (2023), BIG & SMALL UNDERWATER FACES, 3RD PLACE
Featured In
UN World Oceans Day 2025 is hosted by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law
of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs (DOALOS) in partnership with and made possible by Oceanic Global.