Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest and Calendar

Artwork of a diver picking up marine debris.
2024 Calendar Winners
Sea creatures creatively designed out of plastic items swim over text reading "Don't Let This Be Our Future," artwork by Will N. (Grade 8, New York), winner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Will N. (Grade 8, New York), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
An image of a clean, vibrant coral reef on one side and a brown, debris-covered coral reef on the other beneath text reading "Sea a Change," artwork by Magdalene F. (Grade 8, Florida), winner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Magdalene F. (Grade 8, Florida), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
A sea turtle with a collage of debris items in its shell looks at a floating plastic bag in the ocean, artwork by Clara G. (Grade 8, California), winner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Clara G. (Grade 8, California), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Images of animals amid debris items under text reading "STOP using single use plastics," artwork by Norah D. (Grade 7, Rhode Island), winner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Norah D. (Grade 7, Rhode Island), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Courtlyn W. (Grade 7, Louisiana), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Courtlyn W. (Grade 7, Louisiana), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
A blue cuttlefish surrounded by other sea creatures and text reflecting the negative impacts of debris on the ocean, artwork by Heidi K. (Grade 6, Virginia), winner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Heidi K. (Grade 6, Virginia), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
A diver frees a turtle from a plastic bag beside a trash can full of debris items, under text reading "Save the Seas," artwork by Jaemyn L. (Grade 6, Pennsylvania), winner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Jaemyn L. (Grade 6, Pennsylvania), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
A pen and ink drawing of a whale made of debris items, with text reading "The greatest danger to our planet is the thought that someone else will fix it," artwork by Sophia K. (Grade 5, New York), winner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Sophia K. (Grade 5, New York), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest. Quote by Robert Swan.
An abstract scene of animals struggling with the impacts of marine debris, artwork by Luca L. (Grade 4, Washington), winner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Luca L. (Grade 4, Washington), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
A diver with a bag labeled "Trash" cuts a six-pack ring off of an octopus, artwork by Arianna B. (Grade 4, Maine), winner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Arianna B. (Grade 4, Maine), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
A peaceful beach scene featuring a person with long red hair looking over the ocean while picking up debris, artwork by Hazel P. (Grade 3, Florida), winner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Hazel P. (Grade 3, Florida), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
A colorful underwater scene of sea creatures amid marine debris under text that reads "Stop Polluting! Start Reusing!" Artwork Kai R. (Grade 2, Hawai'i), winner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Kai R. (Grade 2, Hawai'i), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
A painting of sea creatures playing a game of soccer with the scoreboard reading "Pollution 0, Ocean 100," under the text "Help Our Ocean Win," artwork by Brooke B. (Grade 1, Hawai'i), winner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Artwork by Brooke B. (Grade 1, Hawai'i), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.

The NOAA Marine Debris Art Contest is now closed. We plan to announce winners in spring 2024. Check out the 2024 Marine Debris Calendar, now available for download!

Annual Marine Debris Program Art Contest Overview

The NOAA Marine Debris Program holds an annual art contest to reach K-8 students and help raise awareness about marine debris. Marine debris is a global issue and we believe that engaging our youth is an important part of addressing the problem. The resulting calendar, featuring the winning artwork, provides a daily reminder of how important it is for us to be responsible stewards of the ocean. Students are highly encouraged to check out resources on this website for information about marine debris.

Who is eligible to enter the contest?

All students in kindergarten through eighth grade from all U.S. states and territories in recognized public, private, and home schools are eligible to participate. Schools, including home schools, must be in compliance with federal and state civil rights and nondiscrimination statutes. Students may submit entries on their own or as part of a classroom, but must work individually.

Entry Requirements

Each entry must be composed of a piece of artwork and a description (on the entry form). All must meet the requirements below. A NOAA awards panel will collect all entries and select 13 winners to be featured in a marine debris calendar. Entries will be judged on the creativity, artistic presentation, and relevancy to the theme of:

  1. How marine debris impacts the ocean and the Great Lakes environment.
  2. What you are doing to help prevent marine debris.

Artwork & Description Requirements:

  1. One entry per student.
  2. The entries must be on a single sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper, landscape.
  3. Use white, non-glossy paper; do not laminate.
  4. Any art medium may be used (e.g., colored pencils, crayons, paint), computer graphics will not be accepted. Artwork must be hand-drawn by the student.
  5. Artwork must be flat (e.g., no glued pieces or glitter) and able to be scanned.
  6. Avoid labeling debris items with any brand names in the artwork.
  7. A description of no more than 75 words must accompany the artwork (space provided on the entry form).
  8. Label each mail entry on the back in pencil (marker bleeds through the artwork) with the student’s name, age, and grade, along with the teacher’s name, school name, address, and telephone number.
  9. If submitting your entry electronically, accepted file types are: JPEG, PNG, or TIFF. Make sure your files are high resolution (scanning is encouraged), not crooked, and easy to see and/or read.

Entry Submission (Contest is now closed!)

This year we are accepting entries by mail and electronically. There should be one entry form filled out per student. Please ensure that the entry form is filled out completely and legibly. All entries (entry form + artwork) must be submitted by mail (postmarked) or electronically no later than December 15, 2023.

If you have any questions, please email md.artcontest@noaa.gov.

Submitting Entries By Mail
Mail your entry (entry form + artwork) to:

Marine Debris Art Contest
NOAA Marine Debris Program
1325 East-West Highway,
SSMC2, Room 3201
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Submitting Entries Electronically
Email your entry (entry form + artwork) to: md.artcontest@noaa.gov 

    • Attach the entry form
    • Attach the artwork as a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF 
    • Make sure your artwork is high resolution (scanning is encouraged), not crooked, and are easy to see and/or read
    • Please note: Our email system will not accept emails with attachments larger than 18MB. If you are submitting multiple entries via email, please number them, send them in individual emails, or reach out to confirm we have received all of your entries.

    2023 Calendar Winners

    Congratulations to our 2024 NOAA Marine Debris Program Calendar winners! The Marine Debris Program selected 13 pieces of work, and they are featured in our 2024 Marine Debris Calendar! Thank you to all the students who participated in this year's contest! We plan to announce the winners of this year's contest in spring 2024.

    The 2024 Marine Debris Calendar is currently available for download.