Atlantic Sharks, Tunas, Billfish, and Swordfish Art Contest
NOAA Fisheries annual Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Art and Calendar Contest.
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Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Art Contest
NOAA Fisheries holds an annual art contest open to students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Through this contest, we hope to raise awareness about Atlantic highly migratory species (sharks, tunas, swordfish and billfish) and their importance to healthy ecosystems. Winning artwork is featured in a NOAA Fisheries calendar.
2026 Contest is Closed
Eligibility
All students from kindergarten through eighth grade from all U.S. states and territories in public, private, and home schools are eligible to participate. 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 that was designed and created by an individual student. All entries must meet the requirements below. A NOAA awards panel will collect all entries and select 13 winners to be featured in an art calendar. Entries will be judged on the creativity, artistic presentation, and relevance to the art contest themes. If we have questions about the artwork, we may reach out to the school or teacher.
The theme of the 2026 Atlantic highly migratory species art contest is sharks, tunas, swordfish, and billfish.
For the species mentioned, the artwork should highlight their:
- Important role in ecosystem and fisheries;
- Diversity and habitats; and/or
- Unique biological characteristics.
Artwork and Description Requirements
- Provide one entry and one entry form per student.
- Create artwork on a single sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper, landscape orientation.
- Use plain, white, non-glossy paper; do not laminate.
- Use any art medium (e.g., colored pencils, crayons, paint, markers). Artwork must be hand-crafted by the student.
- Hand draw all artwork.
- Ensure artwork is flat (e.g., no glued pieces or glitter) and able to be scanned.
- Do not include any personal information (e.g., name, location, or grade) on the front of the artwork.
- Write the student’s name, grade, school, and state on the back of the artwork in pencil (marker bleeds through the artwork).
- Avoid labeling items with any brand names or slogans in the artwork; limit text on the artwork.
- Provide a title for each artwork on the entry form.
Submitting Entries by Mail
Mail entry to:
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Art Contest
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division NMFS SSMC3 F/SF1
1315 East-West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Submitting Entries Electronically
Email entry to: nmfs.hms.artcontest@noaa.gov.
- Attach the artwork as a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF.
- Make sure the artwork is high resolution (scanning is encouraged), not crooked, and is easy to see and/or read.
- Include the student’s name, grade, school, and state in the body of the email.
- 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.
Ownership
Submissions become property of NOAA Fisheries. Through submission of artwork, entrants and their legal guardians grant non-exclusive reproduction and publication rights to the works.
If you have any questions, please email us at nmfs.hms.artcontest@noaa.gov.
2025 Art Contest Winners and 2026 Calendar
Congratulations to our 2025 Atlantic highly migratory species art contest winners! The winning 13 pieces of artwork are featured in a 2026 calendar highlighting the importance of Atlantic swordfish and billfish to healthy ecosystems and to celebrate NOAA Fisheries’ successes in conservation through sustainable fisheries management. Thank you to all the students who participated in this year’s contest!
The 2026 Atlantic swordfish and billfish calendar is available for download and in print.
For a print copy, please email us at nmfs.hms.artcontest@noaa.gov.
Previous Art Contest Winners and Calendars
2025 Atlantic tunas calendar and art gallery of the 2024 art contest winners.
2024 Atlantic sharks calendar and art gallery of the 2023 art contest winners.