Wildlife/Animals 2nd place winner

Weedy Seadragons are the only members of the genus Phyllopteryx , are endemic to sub-temperate and temperate Australian waters and are listed by the IUCN as Near Threatened. The light penetrating these usually murky, cold waters highlight the majesty of these male seadragons - while also capturing the surreal atmosphere that these incredibly diverse marine environments can provide. All these shots were extremely rare in that the water visibility was exceptional for the area, the light was shining just the right way and the males were pregnant - which only happens for 8 weeks of the year. It took me over 200 dives to capture these images that I had been composing within my mind for over 2 years.

I am a marine biologist, wildlife and underwater photographer and PhD candidate. I am also a passionate conservationist and a member of the IUCN Commission on Protected Areas. I believe that photography is a brilliant communication tool as well as a wonderful medium to express my love of, and joy for, the natural world. I have had my work published around the world and won or have been placed in a number of photography competitions including the following examples:

*IUCN Ecology Red-List Photography Competition 2016 - 1st Place
*Eureka Award for Scientific Photography 2013 - 1st Place
*Ecological Society of Australia Photography Awards 2011 & 2014 - 1st Place
*National Geographic and La-Mer Oceans Photography Comp 2012 - 1st Place
*International Photography Awards 2012 - 1st place Nature/Underwater
*International Photography Awards 2012 - Honorable Mention in 5 categories
*Oceans of Life Photographic competition 2012 - 2nd Place
*European Milset Science Photo Contest 2012 - Gold Award
*Nature’s Best Photography Magazine’s Ocean Views 2012 - 8th Place
*International Underwater Photography’s 2011 Annual photography competition - Bronze Medal