Award-Winning Sea Creature Photos

More than 700 images were submitted for this year's underwater photography contest, put on annually by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science. Ximena Olds' photo of the headshield sea slug against a brilliant background of green seagrass took home the "best overall" award.

 

Overall Winner
Ximena Olds – U.S. Virgin Islands
This dashing headshield sea slug photo taken by Ximena Olds (Florida) snagged "best overall" award.
CREDIT: Ximena Olds, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.

 

Macro
Taking home first place in the Macro category, Canadian Todd Mintz's photo of these cute-as-can-be yellownose gobies, Elacatinus randalli, peering out from bolder brain coral in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean.
CREDIT: Todd Mintz, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.

 

Fish or Marine Animal Portrait
Though this animal doesn't look like a tot, indeed the behemoth is just a babe, a juvenile sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). The photo, taken in Dominica by Douglas Kahle of Florida took home first place in the animal portrait category.
CREDIT: Douglas Kahle, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.

 

Wide-angle
First place in the Wide Angle category went to this Lionfish, a species in the genus Pterois, in the Red sea, taken by Mark Fuller from Israel.
CREDIT: Mark Fuller, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.

 

Fan Favorite
Todd Aki, Florida for the picture of Sea nettle Chrysaora quinquecirrh taken on an early morning shore dive off the Breakwater at Monterey, California, USA

 

Macro 2nd Place
Davide Lopresti, Italy for the picture of Porcelain crab Porcellanella sp. on feathery sea pen Komodo National Park, Indonesia

 

Macro 3rd Place
Marcello DiFrancesco, Italy for the picture of Emperor shrimp, Periclimenes imperator takes at Ambon, Indonesia

 

Wide-angle 2nd Place
Matt Potenski, New Jersey for the picture of Red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) at South Bimini, Bahamas

 

Wide-angle 3rd Place
Bill Lamp'l, Florida for the picture of Soft corals and scalefin anthias taken at Bligh Water, Fiji.

 

Fish or Marine Animal Portrait - 2nd Place
Rockford Draper, Texas for the picture of Paddle flap Rhinopias, Rhinopias eschmeyeri (Bali, Indonesia)

 

Fish or Marine Animal Portrait 3rd Place
Nicholas Samaras, Greece for the picture of Nudibranch, Cratena peregrina (Chalkidiki, Greece)

 

Best Student Entry
Kyra Hartog for the picture of Whale shark, Rhincodon typus (Isla Mujeres, Mexico)

 

Student 2nd Place
Phillip Gillette for the picture of Harlequin shrimp, Hymenocera picta(Similan Islands, Thailand)

 

Student 3rd Place
Austin Gallagher, Florida for the photos of Juvenile tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, and lemon shark, Negap