I find it interesting that throughout the process, we ended up with only one logo that distinctly portrays a starfish.  The rest of the final logos have subtle hints of starfishiness, but are really their own unique designs.

I submit a round of applause to ALL the entrants, regardless of outcome.  I continually struggled with narrowing down the field to the final entrants, and struggled with the final entrants themselves!  I can't remember the last time I was confronted with so many fine choices.  Usually the choices are much more obvious, because there are a preponderance of mediocre entries.  But not in this contest.  There were only a couple of choices that I could instantly strike out.  The rest were just fantastic, and believe me when I say that I'm not one to praise others as a way to soothe hurt feelings or anything like that.

So, to all the astonishingly talented logo designers who participated in the contest, I encourage you to stick around.  We may have need in the future of more of your talent!

kind regards,
nio