2008: Underwater Worlds - Highly Commended
David Hall (USA)
Soft-coral community
'Soft corals are one of my favourite subjects and this particular colony in Indonesia was unusually colourful. A shy goby was living with the colony, and I decided to make it the focus of the composition.' Soft corals don't have a rigid skeleton, so they don't build reefs. Instead they have tiny internal skeletal needles that support them. These brightly coloured needles are surrounded by translucent tissue. Many animals like goby fish and comb jellies use soft coral colonies for shelter. These animals are either transparent or in colours similar to the coral, to help camouflage them.
Canon EOS 5D + Canon 15mm f2.8 fisheye lens; 1/80 sec at f10; ISO 200; Seacam housing; two Ikelite DS 125 strobes.
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Adult awards First encounter Brian Skerry
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Adult awards Underworld Brian Skerry
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Adult awards Daddy long legs Jordi Chias Pujol
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Adult awards Sea of life Brian Skerry
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Adult awards Sardine snappers Thomas P Peschak
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Adult awards Eye of the beaver Laurent Piechegut
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Adult awards Sailfish sprinter Amos Nachoum
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Adult awards Colourful business Noam Kortler
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