UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition 2026

The UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition is the annual photo competition coordinated by the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, DivePhotoGuide, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, and Nausicaá (the French oceanarium). The 2026 edition is the competition's 13th cycle.

Four categories: Connecting Oceans (images demonstrating connections between oceanic ecosystems, species, and people), Big and Small Underwater Faces (marine life portraits), Underwater Seascapes (minimum 50% of image underwater), and Above Water Seascapes (ocean-dependent landscapes from above). One image per category.

Winners are announced June 8 at the UN World Oceans Day event in New York. Winning images are printed for global exhibitions hosted by partner institutions worldwide.

Participants must comply with an ethics charter regarding animal welfare and environmental protection during the making of submitted photographs — a structural rule rather than a soft preference.

The 2026 jury is Ipah Uid Lynn (underwater photographer), William Tan (marine photographer), Jane Morgan (underwater photojournalist), Dave Alexander (founder, Scubaverse), and Ellen Cuylaerts (curator).

Eligibility is open globally to all skill levels. Application is free. Submission is JPEG, 2,000–6,000px longest dimension, max 4.9 MB. The 2026 deadline was April 6; results announced June 8, 2026.