Angels of the Seas Conservation Initiative Rules:

• Entries must be for marine conservation, i.e. saltwater…oceans, seas, bays, saltwater canals.
• AOS must approve all applications prior to permission to post on AOS website
• To qualify for awards, entrants must post text and photos or videos (or link to videos) of their progress on the Angels of the Seas website prior to Oct. 15 for the Nov. 12 Interim Honors and prior to Jan. 15, 2011 for Final Awards in February. Web address to be announced.
• Information should be as accurate and factual as possible.
• Anything that is linked on the website must be in good taste and if not, AOS has the right to change or delete.
• This project is intended initially for Florida, however entries for other coastal states will be considered.
• Participants must welcome and allow media coverage for their project, wherever practical.
• Nothing political, please!
• Do not do anything illegal or unsafe.
• Do not harm or kill any marine life.
• Projects should either be new projects, augmenting an existing project as a group or a new improvement on an existing project. If your project does not fall into these three categories, you can still submit an entry for approval or development of a new category.
• Changes: Once you have posted your project, you cannot change the nature of it, but can change or adjust the methods you use to reach your goal as you progress.
• Withdrawals and additions: While it is discouraged, you can withdraw your entry and take your web pages down, however you cannot do it between the cutoff date and awards/interim honors dates. You can submit a new entry. You can submit multiple entries. Each entry will be judged on its merit individually.
• Multiple Entries: One group can submit multiple projects (based on availability and before entries are limited), however a separate entry form must be submitted for each. You can win more than one honor. Remember, this is in the spirit of CONSERVATION!
• AOS reserves the right to limit or expand the number of entries and will provide two weeks notice should that be the case.
• AOS will select a panel of impartial judges.
• Participants will be asked to sign a waiver. AOS and SOSF are not responsible, nor liable for anything involved with your participation in this contest.
• AOS cannot provide funds, nor materials, nor can absorb printing costs of your project.
• Participants are not to solicit corporate sponsors for their project, nor are they allowed to recognize any corporate sponsors on AOS website pages. Corporate is defined as an entity which sells products and services. Should there be a question, AOS will make the final determination/approval with regards to recognitions of corporations or anything in print/on web with regards to any entry. For instance, if your employer allows you to work on this project during company time, you can request to AOS to allow a thank you posted on your web page, however AOS must approve in advance or may edit your entry.
• Allowing participants to post their projects does not indicate endorsement.

AOS has the right to edit any information posted. Rules can be adjusted by AOS

Deadlines:
Oct. 15, 2010 - Web documentation in place to qualify for Nov. 12 Interim Honors
Jan. 15, 2011 - Web documentation in place to qualify for final awards at Miami Boat Show in February

Documenting Your Efforts
The key is to document what you are doing with photos or videos. What is on your web pages is what will be judged. Videos should be low res or converted to low res for easy uploading. You will need to learn how to do this, AOS cannot advise on technical matters. Flip-style video cameras are good for easy video uploading. We will do our best to make this as easy as copy/paste with photo/video uploads similar to Craig's List and You Tube. Save high-resolution photos in case you win and SOSF needs them. We encourage contestants to share any technology with others on the forum.

Other:
Projects in Progress
If your project is not completed by Jan. 15, 2010, you can still document your progress and be eligible for honors as a project in progress.

You are not expected to spend tons of money on this. It's the effort we will be evaluating.
If you use copy from another source verbatim, it is advised to ask permission and if the source would like to be credited. If so, feel free to write 'Information courtesy of (Named) organization on your web page.

Participants are encouraged to post on the forum provided on the website. Cheer each other on, share ideas and make new friends!

Helpful Notes:
There is no charge for the web pages for contestants, however it will be limited to 3-4 pages. These pages are not to be used for self-promotion, commercial interests or to advertise other organizations, however you can give them credit for any information obtained through them. The one exception: corporate entries who may have conservation-minded products. (see below)
Please save your original photos in case they needed for printing.
Once the forum is up, please post all messages on the forum versus emailing us. We are still busy working on the LLGF seminars and will try to answer your questions, bear in mind this is a big project for a tiny staff.

The construction of the website with web pages for participants' use is in progress and may take 1-2 months. We do not have an example of the web pages provided yet. In the meantime, start preparing your mission and taking photos/videos, so you can be ready to upload them when the web pages are available.

If you're troubled by watching the news, with oil gushing into the Gulf and no end in sight, consider this as a means to channel your frustration into something positive.

It's time for anglers and boaters to fight back to preserve the marine environment! Show that you care!