Frogfish floating in litter’ winner at World Oceans Day

A frogfish finding shelter among bits of plastic is one of the winners of a World Oceans Day photography competition, announced at the United Nations earlier this month.

Our oceans absorb many of the carbon dioxide emissions we emit, but human pressures including overfishing, marine pollution, habitat destruction, climate change and ocean acidification are taking a significant toll.

Ellen Cuylaerts, an underwater photographer who announced the winners of the competition, said it was “a moment of reflection on what oceans mean for mankind, and the messages photographers try to grab in just one frame to get attention for the conservation challenges we face.”

Three images were selected as winners in each of five categories, and may now feature in exhibitions to highlight the importance our oceans play keeping the issues high on the agenda all year round.

Making a Difference: Humans in Action

In first place of the ‘Making a Difference: Humans in Action’ category was Gregory Lecoeur, with his image of a frogfish floating among bits of plastic.

First place © Greg Lecoeur

First place © Greg Lecoeur

Second place was awarded to Australian Troy Mayne, for his image of a turtle reflected in a Scuba diver’s mask.

Second place © Troy Mayne

Second place © Troy Mayne

Third place was awarded to China’s Ping Fan, for her image of a scuba diver, floating among sharks.

© Ping Fan

Third place © Ping Fan

Winners also came from other categories, including Above Water Seascapes, Underwater Life, Underwater Seascapes and Youth.

Above Water Seascapes

Winner of the Above Water Seascapes category was Gabriel Barathieu, for a photo which he describes as an explosion of life – a coral garden.

Un véritable jardin de corail garder à l’abris des vagues dans cette petite vasque. Une explosion de vie.

First place – © Gabriel Barathieu – www.underwater-landscape.com

 

Second place – © Frédéric Briois

 

Third place © Dragos Dumitrescu

Third place © Dragos Dumitrescu


Underwater Life

Winner of the Underwater Life category was Dan Charity from the UK for his image of a Whale Shark in Thailand.

First place © Dan Charity

First place © Dan Charity

© Dragos Dumitrescu

Third place © Dragos Dumitrescu

Underwater Seascapes

Winner of the Underwater Seascapes category was Alex Lindbloom with his image of a sponge among Mangroves.

First place © Alex Lindbloom

First place © Alex Lindbloom

 

© Pietro Cremone

Second place © Pietro Cremone

 

Third place © Greg Lecoeur

Third place © Greg Lecoeur

Youth photographer

In first place of the Youth Photographer category was Jack McKee, with his image of a yellow box fish.

First place © Jack McKee

First place © Jack McKee

Second place in the Youth photographer category was Charlotte Siembieda, aged 11, for her image of a dolphin taken from the bow of a boat. She said “The dolphins were so playful that day. Everytime we looked down they would rotate to meet us eye to eye. After 20 minutes we had to move on and when we moved away this dolphin jumped above the water and we saw that she had a fishing hook in her dorsal fin. It was a stark reminder that humans affect every aspect of the natural environment”

"The dolphins were so playful that day. Everytime we looked down they would rotate to meet us eye to eye. After 20 minutes we had to move on and when we moved away this dolphin jumped above the water and we saw that she had a fishing hook in her dorsal fin. It was a stark reminder that humans affect every aspect of the natural environment" © Charlotte Siembieda (Age 11)

Second place © Charlotte Siembieda

 

© Nozomi Dane

Third place © Nozomi Dane

All winning photos were reproduced by Climate-KIC’s Daily Planet with the explicit permission of each of the photographers. Any use of the pictures requires further individual permission.

 
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