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Snap It Up!

University of Miami Rosenstiel School Hosts Annual Underwater Photography Contest

Photo: Peter Weir

VIRGINIA KEY, Fla. — The University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science is now accepting entries for its annual underwater photography contest with a deadline of March 31, 2009. Entry forms are available on the Web.

The contest is divided into three categories: 1) Fish or Marine Animal Portrait, 2) Macro, and 3) Wide Angle photography. The School will also recognize the best UM student submission and Best Overall submission. Top prize is a trip on Blackbeard's Cruises, departing from Freeport, Bahamas, and $300. The top student entry will win $150. Additionally, the contest will recognize 1st, 2nd and 3rd place submissions for each category with monetary awards. (Trip prizes do not include gratuities, port taxes, Bahamas Underwater National Park Fees, gear rental, etc., and are subject to availability.)

The Rosenstiel School Underwater Photography Contest is open to all amateur photographers who earn no more than 20 percent of their income from their photography. Eligible photos must not have been published or accepted for publication and must be the original work of the submitter. No pool or aquarium shots will be accepted.

A team of professional photographers and marine scientists will judge the entries, and winners will be announced during Rosenstiel School's Sea Secrets Lecture Series event on Wednesday, April 15 at 6 p.m. at the Rosenstiel School, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway. The lecture for the evening will feature Lad Adkins, director of special projects at Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) who will discuss the invasive lionfish and efforts to monitor this voracious predator and remove them from our coral reefs. Sponsored by The Lawrence J. and Florence A. De George Charitable Trust, and the Charles N. and Eleanor Knight Leigh Foundation, Sea Secrets is designed for the South Florida non-scientific community.  The events, which are free and open to the general public, are designed to provide insight and information about the oceans that cover two-thirds of our planet, and much of which, are still an enigma.

The Sea Secrets lecture is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. A reception to recognize underwater photo contest winners will take place after the lecture in the Rosenstiel School library. For more information about contest rules, please refer to the contest Web site at: http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/support/advancement/uw-2009/

About the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School
Founded in the 1940’s, the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science has grown into one of the world’s premier marine and atmospheric research institutions. Offering dynamic interdisciplinary academics, the Rosenstiel School is dedicated to helping communities to better understand the planet, participating in the establishment of environmental policies, and aiding in the improvement of society and quality of life.  For more information, please visit www.rsmas.miami.edu

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