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A green turtle surrounded by glassfish in Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Green sea turtles, which are classified as endangered, migrate long distances between feeding grounds and the beaches from where they hatched. Aimee Jan/Ocean Photography Contest
This year’s collection of pictures from Oceanographic Magazine’s Ocean Photography Awards captures a world hidden beneath the water’s surface. The group of winning images celebrates ocean residents while highlighting their uphill battle against climate change, overfishing, and pollution.
The contest features eight categories, including the new Female Fifty Fathoms Award, an award aimed at elevating female photographers. Amateurs and professionals alike submitted images that encompass a range of species and marine ecosystems. In one picture, a diver navigates a stalactite-filled undersea cave in Mexico, and in another, a photographer captures the glowing bespeckled face of a squid. This year’s Ocean Photographer of the Year, Aimee Jan, won the grand prize with her image of a green sea turtle surrounded by glassfish in Western Australia. A selection of the contest’s images is on display at a free, month-long outdoor exhibition in London.
Here are a selection of photographs that showcase the beauty, danger, and mystery of the undersea world:
Second Prize, Ocean Photographer of the Year
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Third Place, Ocean Photographer of the Year
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Winner, Female Fifty Fathoms Award
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Winner, Exploration Photographer of the Year
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Second Place: Female Fifty Fathoms Award
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Third Place, Exploration Photographer of the Year
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Third Place, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year
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Winner, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year
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Winner, Young Ocean Photographer of the Year
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