World Oceans Day 2026: Pacific Youth Invited to Reimagine Our Ocean Through Photography

On World Oceans Day 2026, the United Nations Pacific and the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) are launching REIMAGINE OUR OCEAN, a Pacific-wide youth photography competition that invites young people to share their vision for a resilient ocean in a changing climate.

For Pacific peoples, the ocean is the foundation of culture, identity, livelihoods, wellbeing and resilience. It connects our islands, sustains our communities and shapes our future. Yet climate change is placing increasing pressure on ocean ecosystems through rising sea levels, warming seas, coral bleaching, coastal erosion and biodiversity loss.

At a pivotal moment for global climate and ocean action, Pacific youth have an important role to play in telling the stories of our ocean. Through photography, young people can document both the challenges facing marine and coastal environments and the actions being taken across the region to protect them.

REIMAGINE OUR OCEAN seeks to amplify these voices and perspectives while supporting a shared vision for a resilient Blue Pacific. Selected photographs will be featured in regional advocacy efforts and showcased at a Pre-COP exhibition in October 2026, helping bring Pacific stories and priorities to regional and global audiences.

Competition Theme

Reimagine Our Ocean: Resilience in a Changing Climate - A 2050 Blue Pacific Vision

Participants are invited to submit photographs that explore:

• Ocean and coastal ecosystems, including reefs, lagoons, mangroves and seagrass habitats
• Climate change impacts on the ocean, including sea-level rise, coral bleaching and coastal erosion
• Youth and community stewardship of the ocean
• Traditional and contemporary ocean knowledge
• Nature-based solutions that strengthen ocean resilience

Who Can Enter?

The competition is open to young people from Pacific Island Countries and Territories.

Category 1: Youth (13-17 years)

• Parental or guardian consent required

Category 2: Young Adults (18-24 years)

Submission Requirements

Participants may submit up to three original photographs.

Each submission must include:

• A high-resolution photograph
• A caption of no more than 150 words
• The country and location where the image was taken
• Age category information

Key Dates

• Launch: 8 June 2026 (World Oceans Day)
• Submission Deadline: 6 September 2026
• Judging Period: September 2026
• Pre-COP Exhibition: October 2026

Why Participate?

Selected photographs may be:

• Featured in a regional Pre-COP exhibition
• Showcased through ocean and climate advocacy campaigns
• Included in a regional digital gallery
• Shared with policymakers, regional leaders and global audiences

Submit Your Entry

Submit your photographs through the official competition portal:

https://form.jotform.com/261299082796068

Your Ocean. Your Story. Your Vision for 2050.

Terms and Conditions

By submitting an entry to the REIMAGINE OUR OCEAN: Pacific Youth Photography Competition 2026, participants agree to the following terms and conditions:

Eligibility

The competition is open to young people aged 13 to 24 from Pacific Island Countries and Territories.

Participants aged 13 to 17 must obtain the consent of a parent or legal guardian before submitting an entry.

Originality of Entries

All photographs must be the original work of the participant.

Entries must not infringe upon the copyright, intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any individual or organisation.

Participants are responsible for ensuring that any identifiable individuals featured in photographs have provided appropriate consent.

Number of Entries

Each participant may submit up to three (3) photographs.

Photographs must be submitted through the official competition portal before the closing date.

Image Requirements

Submitted photographs must be high-resolution images suitable for exhibition and publication.

Basic editing, including colour correction, cropping, and exposure adjustments, is permitted. Images that substantially alter the reality of the scene through excessive manipulation, artificial generation, or misleading editing may be disqualified.

Judging

Entries will be assessed by a regional judging panel based on:

• Relevance to the competition theme
• Creativity
• Originality
• Overall visual impact

The decisions of the judging panel are final and no correspondence regarding the outcome will be entered into.

Use of Images

Participants retain ownership of their photographs.

By entering the competition, participants grant the United Nations Pacific and the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, publish, exhibit, adapt, and share submitted photographs for non-commercial advocacy, communications, educational, and promotional purposes related to ocean, climate, and sustainable development initiatives.

Whenever reasonably possible, photographers will be credited when their work is used.

Child Protection and Safeguarding

All entries must respect the dignity, safety, and rights of children and young people.

Images that depict unsafe, exploitative, discriminatory, harmful, or inappropriate situations will not be accepted.

Cultural Respect and Traditional Knowledge

Participants are expected to respect cultural values, customary protocols, and community consent when photographing people, cultural practices, traditional knowledge, or culturally significant locations.

Disqualification

Organisers reserve the right to disqualify entries that:

• Do not comply with the competition rules;
• Contain misleading, offensive, discriminatory, or inappropriate content;
• Violate copyright or intellectual property rights;
• Are generated primarily through artificial intelligence or other means that do not represent an original photograph taken by the participant.

Privacy

Personal information collected through the competition will be used solely for the administration of the competition and related communications and will be handled in accordance with applicable United Nations data protection and privacy standards.

Acceptance of Terms

Submission of an entry constitutes acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.