Every month, our members are invited to submit images and videos falling into the following categories. The competition rules and guidelines explain more about our friendly competition.
| Month | Category | Description | Bonus Challenge |
| January | Best of 2025 | Select your favorite underwater footage from 2025 | Tell us why you chose this entry (must use Note field in submission form) |
| February | Popping Up | In honor of Groundhog Day, composition with subject(s) popping up/out of a hole or from behind a barrier | More than one subject together |
| March | Behavior – Different Species | Composition that shows different species interacting in some way | Shows a symbiotic relationship (a close and recurring interaction, beneficial to at least one partner) |
| April | New Beginnings | Showcase eggs, newborns, or juveniles | Footage from 3/1/25Vertebrate subject(s) – (fish, reptile, bird, mammal) – 4/6/25 |
| May | Attention to Detail | Examples include tiny subjects, close-ups of large subjects, or other artistic intention that emphasizes details | Repeating pattern/texture |
| June | Sea Slugs | Any marine gastropod without a shell – Nudibranchs, Sea Hares, Sapsuckers, Headshield Slugs, etc. | Provide the common or scientific name (must use the Note field in submission form) |
| July | Big, Bright, and Sunny | Wide angle composition with prominent light | Ambient light only |
| August | Shooting the Surface | Subject is on the surface (boat, swimmer, bird, etc.); footage shot from your choice of perspective. Examples include over/under, silhouettes, or similar. | Sky is visible |
| September | Leafy | Animals resembling vegetation (such as sponges, tunicates, anemones, pipefish, seahorses, sea dragons) | Autumn colors — strong use of red, orange, and/or yellow |
| October | Spooky! | Open to your interpretation. Examples might be “dark and stormy” compositions or a scene that is scary for other reasons. | Shows something not alive (for example, inanimate objects such as wrecks, animal bones, etc.) |
| November | Photoshopped | Creative editing/manipulation of footage using digital programs such as Photoshop. No restrictions. Your entry must include your original underwater work somewhere in the composition. Anything else used must be royalty/copyright free. | Add a Title (must use Note field in the submission form). Can be creative or humorous. |
| December | No competition |