Today we are launching the Atlantic Rising photo competition. It is called My Coastal Life and the challenge to students is to take ONE photo of a coastal scene that is important to them, write fifty words explaining why it is so important, and send it to us at competition@atlanticrising.org .

We will be plotting these photos on our website as part of a giant online map. Students can then log on and explore how their contemporaries experience and relate to this vast ocean. After the competition has finished we will be launching a lesson plan encouraging schools to develop this idea of a shared coastline, and our mutual responsibilities to look after it.

For the competition itself, we have some great prizes. Nikon have donated over £500 of camera equipment for the winning photograph. Rafi.ki have kindly donated a year’s membership to their fantastic online community and the Royal Geographical have also donated membership to their exclusive school’s network. Pretty good things for students and schools alike.

The Royal Geographical society have also promised a famous explorer to judge the winning entry, and this photo will be shown on websites and in newsletters across the world.

So if you know a secondary school who would like to take part, please encourage them to contact us to register (email will@atlanticrising.org). We want thousands of photos from all around the ocean rim – to build up as detailed a map as possible.

All of the details about the competition can be found on our website, as well as the introductory video, posters for the classroom and notes for teachers and students.

Closing date is 10^th July, so there is plenty of time for summer to arrive before you head to the coast.

Good luck and happy snapping.