King Tide Photo Contests in New Jersey and New York on October 27

On Thursday October 27, 2011, a king tide, an extra high tide, will impact the coastal region of New York and New Jersey.  King tides happen twice a year when the Earth, moon, and sun align, maximizing the gravitational forces that produce tides.  The name “king tides” is more common in the Pacific where these tides can be formidable creating big surf and strong rip currents.

Environmental planners in our region, concerned about sea level rise, are requesting photos of the event in the Hudson River Estuary region and in Barnegat Bay as a preview of what average high tide levels will likely be 20 - 30 years from now.  Photos will help raise awareness of sea level rise predictions and provide valuable information to coastal policymakers.

For comparison with the king tide, photos are requested during a normal high tide, such as on Oct 19^th or 20^th and then midday on October 27^th during the king tide at the same location.  The time of high tides can be determined by looking at the following websites and choosing the gage site closest to your chosen location:    

New York sites and New Jersey sites

Two photos of the exact same location in the Hudson River Estuary or Barnegat Bay region are needed and can be submitted to the National Estuary Program hosting the contest.  Submit your 2 photos, along with the time, date, photographer name, geographic location (GPS coordinates if possible), orientation of photo (direction facing when taking it) and a caption or any other relevant information about the site to either the Hudson Estuary Program or the Barnegat Bay Partnership.

For Hudson River Estuary photos:

-          Email them to habitat@harborestuary.org by November 4^th

For Barnegat Bay photos:

-          Upload them to the Flickr™ group page

-          Or email them to Karen Walzer at the partnership at kwalzer@ocean.edu

The Barnegat Bay Program is offering a prize!  All photos submitted will automatically be entered into a contest, with the grand prize a pontoon boat tour of the bay, guided by a professional naturalist, for the winning photographer and 10 to 15 guests in spring 2012.  Two runners-up will each receive a Barnegat Bay Partnership gift bag.

Additional information can be found at the Barnegat Bay Partnership website or for the Hudson Estuary Program instructions or here.