There’s something wonderful about sea turtles. They’re a favorite of photographers and Aquarium visitors—and they have an important conservation story to tell. Which is why we’re excited that, for the second year in a row, a sea turtle image is the winner in our World Ocean Day photo contest. Among the many fantastic photos submitted, visitors during World Ocean Day weekend selected “Green Sea Turtle Being Cleaned” by Peter Liu of Maui, Hawaii as the 2009 contest winner.

Images like Peter’s connect us more deeply with what healthy oceans mean for us all, and they inspire us to action. Earlier this year, in part because of your efforts, federal fisheries managers rejected a proposal to allow longlining of swordfish in West Coast waters frequented by threatened loggerhead and endangered leatherback sea turtles. And, last week, President Obama launched the process to develop a comprehensive national ocean policy. We'll continue to let you know when you can take action for sea turtles and other marine life.

Be sure to check out more amazing contest photos on our website.

OUR MISSION IS TO INSPIRE CONSERVATION OF THE OCEANS.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a non-profit institution.