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NOAA Fisheries’ Greater Atlantic Fisheries Office (GARFO) coordinated its sixth annual Marine Endangered Species Art Contest in 2017. Endangered Species Day, always the third Friday in May, highlights plants and animals that face extinction, are endangered, or are at risk of becoming endangered. The annual celebration provides an opportunity for people to learn about endangered and threatened species and what we can do to help them.
NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Endangered Species Art Contest winner, ninth grade: Shortnose Sturgeon, by Isabel O. (Image credit: NOAA Fisheries)
GARFO’s Marine Endangered Species Art Contest, initiated in 2012, raises awareness of protected marine species, including fish, marine mammals, and sea turtles in the Greater Atlantic area from Maine to Virginia, as well as awareness of the Endangered Species Act itself. Student submissions highlight one or more endangered or threatened, ocean-dwelling species in the Greater Atlantic area. The art projects increase awareness and understanding of these species and the role of NOAA Fisheries in their recovery.
What started as a local contest has expanded nationally and internationally, with an entry from Canada in 2016. In 2017, GARFO received 202 pieces of artwork from 13 schools, including those in the District of Columbia, New Jersey, Texas, and California, as well as one home-school submission. Since 2012, over 1,600 students have participated in the contest. NOAA Fisheries honored this year’s winning students at an award ceremony on May 25, 2017, held at NOAA Fisheries’ GARFO facilities in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
The contest has succeeded in raising and maintaining awareness about endangered species throughout the Greater Atlantic area. Submitted art is displayed for public viewing throughout the month of May in a gallery at GARFO, and the winning and honorable mention entries each year are featured in an online calendar. The winners’ schools receive printed posters of their students’ artwork, ensuring continued awareness of endangered species throughout the year. In addition, videos of the awards ceremony and artwork can be seen on the GARFO website and Facebook page. One parent even asked for a photo of her child’s submission so that she could surprise her daughter with a cake featuring the artwork! Continued participation in GARFO’s Marine Endangered Species Art Contest will provide more opportunities for youth and adults to understand conservation policies and engage in stewardship actions.
