The previously announced 2012 Our World Underwater and DEEP Indonesia competition are new open and accepting entries. Held by Wetpixel in conjunction with DivePhotoGuide, and hosted on the UnderwaterCompetition.com site, the two competition have come to represent two of the most prestigious underwater imaging contests in the world.

Full entry details are available on the Our World Underwater pages, with still and video entries being accepted now and closing on 23 January. DEEP Indonesia is also accepting photo entries now, but has a closing date of 10 February. 15% of all entry fees will be donated to marine conservation causes.

The Underwater Competition series returns in 2012 for its 7th year with over $100,000 in prizes.

Known as the “Super Bowl” of underwater imagery events, the series has developed a reputation as being one of the elite underwater photography competitions, and the Our World Underwater and DEEP Indonesia contests have truly showcased the unique art of underwater photography. With more than $100,000 in world-class prizes and 15 categories between the two contests, the series represents one of the world’s largest underwater imaging event.

Prizes include nearly 40 trips to some of the best dive resorts and liveaboards in the world, top underwater photo and video equipment and much more. In addition, the grand prize winner of the OWU competition will be given $1000 in cash!

The competitions are designed for photographers for all levels, with categories ranging from novice to professional and even commercial photography. As in the past, the Our World Underwater contest features technical categories, while DEEP Indonesia offers themed entry categories.

The series is organized and founded by DivePhotoGuide.com and Wetpixel.com – the world’s leading underwater photography websites.

The organizers, Matt Weiss and Eric Cheng, released the following statement:

“We are thrilled to announce the 7th annual Our World Underwater and DEEP Indonesia competitions. The quality of entries from photographers all over the world shows that underwater photography is truly a growing global art form. It is always an honor to showcase and award the talented winners of the competitions.”

As always, the judges will consist of a panel of industry experts including professional photographers, cinematographers and magazine editors. The winners will be announced live on stage at the Our World Underwater film Festival in Chicago on February 17 and will be exhibited at DEEP Indonesia in Jakarta beginning on March 29. Our international media partners will publish the winning images and will reach millions of readers.

As with every UnderwaterCompetition.com event, 15 percent of the entry proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.