INAUGURAL SAN DIEGUITO LAGOON DAY PHOTO CONTEST All ages invited to contribute. Photo Doan Hohmeyer

Del Mar’s San Dieguito Lagoon Preservation Committee announces an exciting addition to the annual San Dieguito Lagoon Day celebration: the Inaugural San Dieguito Lagoon Day Photo Contest. Winners will be announced during the celebration, which will take place this year on Sunday, April 17, doors opening at 10:45 a.m. with the event beginning at 11 a. m., at the Del Mar Powerhouse, 1658 Coast Boulevard, Del Mar. Entries in beginner, junior and adult categories are welcome and will be accepted online from March 8, 2011, to April 10, 2011.

Following tradition, join in celebrating the successful progress of the San Dieguito Lagoon Restoration and hear the story of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch presented by Jesse Powell, a graduate researcher from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Jesse was an original member of the 2009 SEAPLEX Expedition and will give a presentation on the cruise and the results from studying the Great Pacific Gyre, a phenomenon of great interest today. Jesse is a third year Ph.D. student at Scripps in biological oceanography. He is working to understand the relationships between acoustically derived zooplankton counts and zooplankton net tows. Before starting his PhD career, he worked as a laboratory technician at Scripps where he went on more than 20 research cruises. His interests also include development of oceanographic equipment.

There is no charge for admission to the event, and coffee, tea and light refreshments will be served.