After receiving 4,500 entries from photographers in 67 countries, the judges of the Underwater Photographer of the Year awards picked winners in 10 categories. The annual competition celebrates photography from beneath the surface of the sea, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools.

With manmade chemicals now being detected in even the deepest parts of our oceans, rising sea temperatures and acidification posing real threats to aquatic life, the photos capture some of the habitats and animals that are at stake.

The awards were first held in 1965. Three categories recognise photographs taken specifically in British waters.

French photographer Gabriel Barathieu was named underwater photographer of the year with his Dancing Octopus photo – a shot capturing a “balletic and malevolent” hunter on the move. Other winning entries included a psychedelic jellyfish in bloom to a solitary shark “in a big, blue, lonely world”.

“I have been captivated not only by the winning images but also by the stories behind how those images were achieved,” said Peter Rowlands, chairman of this year’s jury. “The conception, the planning and the physical effort to achieve a successful result; it is those efforts that we, as judges, pay our respects to.”

Diving deep: the winning entries

Underwater photographer of the year: Gabriel Barathieu (France)
Dancing Octopus – Mayotte, Indian Ocean

Dancing Octopus: Gabriel Barathieu/UPY 2017

“I had to wait for a low spring tide when the water was just 30cm deep so that the octopus would fill the water column,” Barathieu said. “I got as close as possible with a wide-angle lens to create this image, which makes the octopus look huge.”

British underwater photographer of the year: Nick Blake (Ireland)
Out of the Blue – Chac Mool Cenote sinkhole, Mexico

Out of the Blue: Nick Drake/UPY 2017

“Underwater photographers can move freely in three dimensions, so I adjusted my position in the water to capture the symmetrical framing of the light beams by the rocks,” said Blake.

Up and coming underwater photographer of the year: Horacio Martinez (Argentina)
Oceanic in the Sky – Egypt

Oceanic in the Sky: Horacio Martinez

Martinez said: “I noticed this oceanic whitetip shark patrolling in the distance and exposed for the sun beams. I was pleased by the dreamlike effect. Oceanic [animals] are great subjects for close-ups as they are anything but shy. Yet, I wanted to capture their apparent loneliness in the big blue.”

Oceanic animals are great subjects for close-ups as they are anything but shy

Most promising British underwater photographer: Nicholai Georgiou (UK)
Orca Pod – Norway

Orca Pod: Nicholai Georgiou/UPY 2017

“The days are short and the water is barely above freezing, but with orca around, the cold is quickly forgotten,” said Georgiou. “The light was beautiful as the sun skimmed the horizon, but the water was dark and foreboding. These orca swam by, nice and close. It was a moment which will be hard to top.”

Winner, wide angle category: Ron Watkins (USA)
One in a Million – Out of Valdez, Alaska

One in a Million: Ron Watkins/UPY 2017

“The dense bloom of jellyfish ranged in depth from two metres to more than 20 metres and we spent a lot of time in the water with them,” said Watkins. “It was surreal and more dense than anything I had ever experienced including Jellyfish Lake in Palau. I came across this lion’s mane jellyfish rising from the bloom towards the surface and positioned myself directly over it to capture this image.”

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Winner, macro category: So Yat Wai (Hong Kong)
Prey? – Anilao, Philippines

Prey?: So Yat Wai/UPY 2017

“This photo was shot during a blackwater dive in Anilao,” explained Wai. “Even though the larvae mantis shrimp [left] is very small, it is still a predator which uses its raptorial appendages to hunt. Has it spotted the prey and is it ready to pounce?”

Winner, wrecks category: (Hungary)
The Wreck of the Louilla at Sunset – Gordon Reef, Straits of Tiran, Egypt

The Wreck of the Louilla at Sunset: Csaba Tökölyi/UPY 2017

“This is the wreck of the Louilla resting on top of Gordon Reef in the Straits of Tiran on the edge of the Sinai,” said Tökölyi. “Wrecks become part of the ecosystem in no time. Soft corals develop very soon and they can become a shelter for schools of juvenile fish. In a few decades, the reef should be free again from the remains of this once-huge freighter.”

Winner, behaviour category: Qing Lin (Canada)
Your Home and My Home – Lembeh, Indonesia

Your Home and My Home: Qing Lin/UPY 2017

“Clown anemonefish and anemones enjoy a symbiotic relationship,” said Lin. “The parasitic isopods like to hang out in the mouths of anemonefish. It took me six dives, patience and luck to capture the exact moment when all three fish opened their mouths to reveal their guests. Finally, on the last dive of the last day, I succeeded.”

It took me six dives, patience and luck to capture the exact moment

Winner, compact category: Jenny Stromvoll (Mozambique)
I’ve Got My Eye on You! – Frekkie, Mozambique

I’ve Got My Eye on You!: Qing Lin/UPY 2017

“The trick was to get close enough without the goby moving away,” said Stromvoll. “I was fortunate enough to find a very forgiving goby who allowed me into his private space. I knew I had to get down low and shoot up to include the surface of the water. I shot this scene many times before getting the image I was after.”

Commended entries

Portrait category: Francis Pérez (Spain)
Sea Lion Playing With Starfish – Los Islotes, Mexico

Sea Lion Playing With Starfish: Francis Pérez/UPY 2017

“In Los Islotes there is one of the most important sea lion kindergartens in Mexico. I went there looking for pictures of sea lions eating on the big sardine banks,” said Pérez. “There were no sardines, but I found many interesting things, such as a juvenile sea lion playing with starfish. I spent about four hours in the water, until finally getting closer and little by little and with respect, I was able to capture this photo.”

British waters wide angle category: Cy Sullivan (UK)
Lodberry Jellyfish – Lerwick Harbour, Shetland

Lodberry Jellyfish: Cy Sullivan/UPY 2017

“Living in Shetland I am surrounded by fantastic dive locations,” said Sullivan. “I regularly dive near Lerwick’s lodberries, taking in the fascinating history and marine life. The lodberries are a terrace of late 18th century buildings used in the shipping trade. After many failed attempts and much patience this blue jellyfish [Cyanea lamarckii] slowly propelled itself into my frame. I love taking these kinds of shots as it gives people an insight into the beautiful aquatic world that surrounds us.”

I really love taking these kinds of shots – it gives people an insight into the beautiful aquatic world that surrounds us

British waters macro category: Trevor Rees (UK)
Purple Baubles in a Sea of Yellow – HMS Scylla wreck, Plymouth

Purple Baubles in a Sea of Yellow: Trevor Rees/UPY 2017

“This close-up shot of jewel anemones [Corynactis viridis] was taken on a popular wreck dive near Plymouth on England’s south coast,” said Rees. “The HMS Scylla wreck was scuttled [deliberately sunk] only 13 years ago but is now well encrusted with marine life. Numerous, large, tightly packed jewel anemones can now be found on the top of the wreck.”

British waters compact category: Ian Wade (UK)
Split-level Tadpoles – Priddy Pools, Somerset

Split-level Tadpoles: Ian Wade/UPY 2017

“Photographing these toad tadpoles proved really tricky,” said Wade. “I wanted to show life above and below the water level on a compact camera. It took a lot of near misses but finally, I managed to capture this image showing a split level environment. I head to this location every year to photograph the tadpoles.”

View all of this year’s winning images here

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“I never saw myself as a conservationist or an activist, or any of those things really,” confesses Lou Ruddell, founder of shark conservation group Fin Fighters. Despite her passion for sharks, she never wanted to emulate other conservation organisations. “It’s all about inspiring positivity and working with people in a way that is fun. And I think that’s where conservation has kind of been stalling for a really long time, because it’s not been about inspiring people to do something.”

Focused on collaboration, action-oriented and positive, Ruddell, 31, is characteristic of the new breed of young marine conservation activists who are breaking with tradition and pioneering fresh approaches to ocean protection.

The history of marine conservation is a relatively short one. While fisheries have been managed internationally for several centuries, the historical driver for this regulation was to sustain commercial fish stocks. If there were any benefits to wider ocean biodiversity, that was purely incidental.

Only in the 1970s, with the birth of the modern environmental movement, did marine conservation emerge as a discipline in its own right. This new branch of conservation science took a more holistic view of marine biodiversity, allowing room for interdisciplinary approaches to the multi-faceted problems affecting the oceans. But marine conservation has remained relatively unchanged since, with the majority of its practitioners still biological scientists and much of the funding still grant-based.

“My hope is for marine conservation to be part of our culture and for us to understand that everything is connected.”

Now, the tide is turning. The millennial generation, born between 1980 and 2000, have arrived, and they’re enthusiastic about changing the planet for the better. Strong traits in millennials have been shown to include independent-mindedness, innovative thinking, adaptability and being motivated by purpose. In the marine world, this is perhaps no better personified than by Boyan Slat, the 19-year-old Dutch student who invented The Ocean Cleanup, a device that extracts plastic pollution from the ocean. In 2014, Slat was crowned one of the Champions of the Earth, the UN’s highest environmental accolade.

But is the marine conservation world ready to embrace these young change-makers?

In early 2014, 21-year-old student Daniela Fernandez was asked to represent Georgetown University at a meeting of the UN, where she heard a speech about the state of the oceans. Alarmed not only by the severity of the crisis but also by her lack of awareness, Fernandez took a look at the rest of the audience. “As I looked around the room, I was one of the only students or young people. Which was a huge problem, because I felt like my generation was not getting this information [about the ocean]. The information, the facts, the statistics, were all being preached to the same group of people,” she says.

This experience prompted Fernandez to set up the Georgetown Sustainable Oceans Alliance (SOA). In April this year the group hosted a summit that attracted not only some very experienced high level speakers, but also over 1,000 young people from across the US. Many of the attendees have subsequently formed chapters of the SOA at their own universities. For Fernandez, this success was a validation of her concerns: “All along, it wasn’t because millennials weren’t interested in the problem, or that they don’t care, it’s because they don’t have the opportunity to be involved,” she says.

Mariasole Bianco, 30, is co-chair of the World Commission on Protected Areas Young Professionals Marine Taskforce. She believes that young people are often overlooked, which leads to them developing new approaches: “There is just one door closing after the other. But this also has a positive result, because from this frustration, and the fact that we can’t find a place in the conservation community, many people start their own organisations to make a difference in their communities.”

Skipper and ocean advocate Emily Penn, 28, agrees that this self-starter approach is vital, but that it “traditionally doesn’t necessarily exist in ocean conservation”. Despite a list of achievements that would put many older environmentalists to shame, she counts developing the conservation sailing organisation Pangea Explorations into a financially sustainable entity as probably the biggest accomplishment of her career.

As for what else separates millennials from previous generations, Penn cites access to technology and opportunity: “The world we live in now is so different from our parents’ generation and our ability to connect and communicate with one another, and the power that this gives us…is hugely significant,” she says.

Communication skills have been key to the success of non-profit campaigning organisation Save Philippine Seas, according to co-founder and ‘chief Mermaid’ Anna Oposa, 27. Trained as a musical theatre performer, she believes that her background has given her an advantage: “When you’re a scientist you’re taught to do things a certain way. But for me, I have been using my heart. I’m not scared to fail I guess, and I’m not scared of rejection,” she says.

In common with other young ocean activists, Oposa is motivated by a desire to see everyone engaged with marine conservation: “My hope is for marine conservation not to be extraordinary, and for it to be part of our culture, and for us to understand that everything is connected,” she says.

“Even if you live in the city, even if you live in a very urban jungle, it doesn’t mean that you’re not part of the sea.”

This spirit of collective endeavour is how many young people believe conservation groups should be working, as Ruddell explains: “The future of conservation is about smaller groups, working collectively and together. Because you’ve got more strength that way,” she says.

As for the future of the seas themselves, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the threats that our oceans are facing. But many young marine conservationists are optimistic about what they can achieve. For Penn, the huge challenges that her generation faces are also the source of her motivation.

“We’re so lucky,” she says. “We get to solve the biggest problem, we get to change the world. We get to make the biggest difference that our species has ever had the opportunity to make.”

The post Meet the young ocean advocates aiming to change marine conservation for the better appeared first on Positive News.

The life I left behind in Lisbon, Portugal, was far from unsatisfying. I worked as a music teacher, played gigs in the local bar and nurtured lifelong friendships and a deep affection for Portugal. However, a familiar restlessness kept resurfacing. I’d watched my closest friends settle down, have children, buy houses and move up the career ladder, while all I had to show for my years of full-time work was a loyalty account with the local pizzeria.

It was pointed out to me that these feelings of restlessness might be linked to that mysterious, erratic aspect of so many people’s character, my ‘creative side’. I’d dabbled in songwriting in the past, but for several reasons, my creative side had been shoved in a cupboard, where it languished, drinking brandy and complaining that “music just wasn’t the same nowadays.” It was time, I decided, to give it a much-needed airing.

My opportunity arrived when a good friend invited me, and my guitar, to accompany him across the Atlantic in a small red sailboat. Despite having zero sailing experience, and not much cash, the thought of adventure on the high seas, and the chance to connect again with my passion for music, was intoxicating. I immediately began making preparations to leave. Even just the thought of adventure reignited my inspiration for songwriting, and I released my first CD, Libertine Dawn, in August last year.

“I love being able to work with the natural ebb and flow of creativity rather than trying to force inspiration into small chunks of free time.”

A few weeks later, our ship, Bloodshot, departed Lisbon, bound for Morocco. As we cast off the lines I felt a strange and vivid kind of freedom; a release from that complex web of nest building and future planning that can easily become a trap.

We arrived in Agadir after a five-day offshore passage. It was an intense first sailing experience. We encountered huge monstrous waves, dolphins and ocean phosphorescence, all of which would become regular visitors to our boat.

After Morocco, we spent two relaxing months in Lanzarote waiting for replacement parts, and two months on El Hierro, enjoying the swirling volcanic hills, crystal waters and nostalgic atmosphere of this beautiful undiscovered Canary Island. At the beginning of March we set sail across the Atlantic and, 28 incredible days later, we reached the island of Carriacou, in Grenada.

Despite its poetic appeal, life on the ocean waves can be tough. The intimidating tasks of surviving at sea and learning how to sail are combined with the challenge of living together in a confined space. It can leave you exhausted, exhilarated, miserable, frustrated and giddy. Night watches still terrify me, and don’t even get me started on seasickness. But not once have I regretted the decision to become a boat dweller.

Life on the ocean can be a healthy, sustainable lifestyle too. Power comes from three solar panels and a wind generator, and fresh water is substituted for seawater wherever possible. Thrift becomes a pastime, which satisfies both the pocket and the soul. Every squeeze of shower gel is thoughtfully executed. It’s satisfying to remove dependencies that have built up over the years.

On board our ship, my mobile studio consists of an iPad, with a recording app called Garage Band, and a small Apogee microphone. Musical inspiration comes at me from all angles. Tunes pop unbidden into my head, as do bizarre mid-ocean ballad-worthy hallucinations. Some get forgotten; some develop into full ‘sea sketches’ once the boat is quiet enough to record them. Each sketch is posted on my blog, and Soundcloud, along with the story behind the music. I love being able to work with the natural ebb and flow of creativity rather than trying to force inspiration into small chunks of free time.

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On top of that, there are chances to meet and play with other musicians. Many boat dwellers have instruments on board and I’ve had some unforgettable nights playing Irish jigs, sea shanties and German folk ballads with fellow guitarists, ukulele players, accordionists, trombonists, even a kitchen implement band in Grenada. Having time to spare, and no strict schedule, allows for opportunities to play, chance meetings, spontaneous collaborations, and just making the most of wherever you are.

For anyone looking to give their creativity a boost, travel, especially slow travel, is a great way to go about it. Inspiration and unanticipated life lessons lie in wait around every corner, and what starts as an adventure can quickly become much more.

You can read more about Emma’s adventures on her website and hear her sea sketches on Soundcloud. You can find the album Libertine Dawn on Amazon, Spotify, and iTunes.

Positive Travel is edited by Aaron Millar. He writes about adventure travel, and personal development through exploring the world, at The Blue Dot Perspective.

The post Songs from the sea appeared first on Positive News.

Approximately 250,000 marine species have been formally described in the Ocean Biogeographic Information System, following the completion of a ten-year study known as the Census of Marine Life.

The largest ever study of life in the planet’s oceans, the results of the census have created the clearest picture yet of what lives in our seas, showing that the world’s oceans are far more diverse and interconnected than previously recognised.

Founders of the new online resource hope it will help protect the oceans and endangered sea species. The website gives information on the migratory routes and feeding areas of vulnerable species to help decision-makers protect the world’s marine life. It also hosts a comprehensive list of endangered sea species, with the hope that international efforts can be targeted at those most threatened.

The Census involved 2,700 scientists from around the world, who made over 30 million observations, to help create a greater knowledge of vital ecosystems and enable governments and other organisations to better understand the impact of humans on the oceans.

With 70% of the world’s surface area covered by water, the project involved 540 expeditions at a cost of $650 million and studied some of the most extreme conditions on the planet, as well as regions that had never previously been explored.

Scientists involved estimated that, on top of the 250,000 valid marine species that have been formally described in scientific literature, excluding microbes, a further 750,000 species remain to be discovered and described. More than a billion types of microbes may also live in the oceans.

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