LJ Shores underwater photo contest takes off

Friends of La Jolla Shores has put out a call for underwater photographers to submit their photos for the graphic panels for the fish and species display adjacent to “The Map” at Kellogg Park.

The deadline for submissions is Oct. 15.

The photos will be used to identify each of the 62 fish and species represented by life-sized bronze embeds in “The Map” and found offshore in the La Jolla Shores Underwater Park & Ecological Reserves. The reserve and park draw more than 2 million visitors a year.

The idea is to contribute to the educational and interactive nature of the interpretative learning center, explained Mary Coakley, spokeswoman for the project being coordinated by Paula Selby, Barbara Lloyd and Derek Tarr. In addition to those selected for display, all submissions will be included on the Friends of La Jolla Shores website for educational purposes. Prizes will be awarded via a drawing.

Chuck Nicklin, an Emmy Award winning underwater cinematographer and photographer; Dr. Ed Parnell, a marine ecologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Steve Frink, the world’s most widely published underwater photographer, will serve as judges.

Selection criteria includes:

• Photo of one of the species identified on the list of species found on the Friends website
• Species shown in their native habitat (preferred, but not required)
• Appropriate for instructional purposes
• Technically sound and well composed (species as main subject with minimal distractions)
• Subject in focus and shown with technically accurate proportions (little or no distortion)
• Visible identifying characteristics of the species
• Accurate colors without distortion

Aquarium shots will be considered, but species shown in their native habitat are preferred. Ideally the subject would be photographed at La Jolla Shores.
For information, contact Coakley at (619) 840-0250. Entry forms and the list of species are at