Scuba Diving, Travel and Adventure Exposition

2027 National Ocean Pals Poster Contest

Sharks in Balance: Healthy Sharks, Healthy Oceans

What does a healthy ocean look like? This year’s contest invites young artists to explore how sharks help shape healthy ocean communities.

Sharks have lived in our oceans for more than 400 million years. They are predators, neighbors and essential parts of diverse marine communities.

Entry details and printable form

Three sharks swimming through a healthy reef ecosystem

Contest goals

The Ocean Pals Poster Contest encourages young artists to explore the marine environment and express their discoveries and concerns through art. Sharing their posters brings those ideas to a wider audience, helping others understand why ocean life matters and how we can protect it.

The Creative Challenge

Show How Sharks Help Keep the Ocean in Balance

Create an original poster for the contest that shows a connection between sharks and a healthy ocean.

Choose a connection that interests you—a shark and its habitat, the animals it lives alongside, or a way people can help protect its ocean home. Let what you discover guide the story you want to tell.

Discover a Connection

Explore how sharks, prey, habitats, and other ocean life influence one another.

Imagine a Healthy Ocean

Show what a balanced ocean community looks like when sharks and their habitats are protected.

Share a Message

Use art to help others replace fear with curiosity, knowledge, and care for the ocean.

Enter the contest

Students in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five inhabited U.S. territories may enter, subject to the contest rules.

Regional and national awards recognize artwork in four grade divisions:

  • Grades K–2
  • Grades 3–5
  • Grades 6–8
  • Grades 9–12

Posters must be received by February 12, 2027.

Regional first-place winners receive medals and advance to national judging. Regional second- and third-place winners receive certificates; judges may also award regional honorable-mention certificates. Regional second- and third-place winners and honorable mentions do not advance. Each national grade-division winner receives $100. One overall grand-prize winner receives an additional $100.

Teacher award: The teacher of the overall grand-prize winner will receive a trip award. Full details, including travel arrangements and conditions, will be announced.

Where to send your poster

Send your poster and completed entry form to your regional contact. For school-affiliated entries, use the school’s location to determine the region. For homeschool entries, use the location where the student receives instruction. A regional contact’s mailing address does not determine the area they serve.

Contest regions and contacts

Ocean Pals Western, Central and Eastern contest regions All 50 states and the District of Columbia, colored by Western, Central and Eastern contest region. Alaska and Hawaii appear as insets. Territory assignments appear in the accompanying written list. Contest regions Western Central Eastern Alaska — Western Arizona — Western California — Western Colorado — Western Hawaii — Western Idaho — Western Montana — Western New Mexico — Western Nevada — Western Oregon — Western Utah — Western Washington — Western Wyoming — Western Alabama — Central Arkansas — Central Iowa — Central Illinois — Central Indiana — Central Kansas — Central Kentucky — Central Louisiana — Central Michigan — Central Minnesota — Central Missouri — Central Mississippi — Central North Dakota — Central Nebraska — Central Ohio — Central Oklahoma — Central South Dakota — Central Tennessee — Central Texas — Central Wisconsin — Central Connecticut — Eastern District of Columbia — Eastern Delaware — Eastern Florida — Eastern Georgia — Eastern Massachusetts — Eastern Maryland — Eastern Maine — Eastern North Carolina — Eastern New Hampshire — Eastern New Jersey — Eastern New York — Eastern Pennsylvania — Eastern Rhode Island — Eastern South Carolina — Eastern Virginia — Eastern Vermont — Eastern West Virginia — Eastern AK AZ CA CO HI ID MT NM NV OR UT WA WY AL AR IA IL IN KS KY LA MI MN MO MS ND NE OH OK SD TN TX WI CT DC DE FL GA MA MD ME NC NH NJ NY PA RI SC VA VT WV

Entries from U.S. territories

U.S. Caribbean Territories — Eastern region

Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands

U.S. Pacific Territories — Western region

American Samoa, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands

Send entries to the receiving contact listed for your region below.

Western

Regional contact: Carol Rose

Carol Rose
347 El Castillo Vis
Sonoma, CA 95476

[email protected]

13 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

U.S. territories: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands.

Central

Regional contact: Gail Tucker

9226 Sly Hill Rd
Ava, NY 13303

[email protected]

20 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin.

Eastern

Regional contact: Maria Hults

143 Bay Avenue
Hampton Bays, NY 11946

[email protected]

17 states and the District of Columbia: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia.

U.S. territories: Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands.

For Educators

Bring the creative challenge into the classroom

Invite your students to enter the Ocean Pals Poster Contest. Ready-to-use lessons and handouts help you explore the shark theme together before students express what they discover through art.

Resources for schools and families

Printable Announcement

A one-page contest overview suitable for classroom boards, art rooms, libraries, and take-home folders.

Open the School Announcement

Ready-to-Share Artwork

Landscape and square graphics for classroom announcements, school websites and community notices.

Preview of the landscape Sharks in Balance promotional graphic
LandscapeDownload PNG
Preview of the square Sharks in Balance promotional graphic
SquareDownload PNG
Download the educator kit

More to explore

First-place Grades K–2 Magical Manatee poster by Adrianna Guiducci Past poster contest winnersExplore winning artwork, themes, and young artists from past contests. Children creating ocean artwork at an Ocean Pals activity table About Ocean PalsDiscover the program’s history and learning resources for young ocean explorers.