Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Recognized for Excellence in Digital Communications

May 2021

Webby Award

We are thrilled to announce that our Sanctuaries 360°: Explore the Blue video series won a People’s Voice Webby Award in the “Virtual and Remote - Science & Education” category. A Webby Award is like an “Academy Award” for digital media. We want to say THANK YOU to all the folks who voted for us in this category. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of the Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) and is the leading international award honoring excellence on the internet.

Communicator Award

Our National Marine Sanctuaries 360°: Explore the Blue virtual reality (VR) series and Stories from the Blue video series won Awards of Excellence for the 2021 Communicator Awards in the “Online Video” category. The Communicator Awards honor excellence in strategic, effective, and meaningful communication across digital, video, podcasts, marketing, mobile, print, and other platforms. The judging body, The Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts (AIVA) includes some of the biggest names in the industry from all areas of marketing and communication.

Malofiej Award

The Whale Fall Discovery infographic featured in our 2021 Earth is Blue Magazine won a bronze Malofiej Award! Considered the Pulitzers for infographics, Malofiej awards recognize the best infographics in media (e.g., newspapers, magazines, agencies) from around the world.

About the Series

The Sanctuaries 360°: Explore the Blue series was launched last year to bring a collection of virtual underwater experiences to people throughout the world. These videos and lesson plans proved to be extremely popular over the last year and gave homebound students, teachers and those seeking an escape a virtual outlet to experience our national marine sanctuaries.

The Stories from the Blue series, part of the Earth is Blue campaign, celebrates the people at the center of national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments.

The Earth is Blue Magazine, part of our Earth is Blue campaign, brings vivid images and engaging articles about the ecosystems, wildlife, science, and people of the National Marine Sanctuary System to audiences across the nation. The magazine is published annually in both print and digital formats.