Russell Laman's Image

Russell Laman (USA) portrays a living and dead sea lion among floating jellyfish.

Russell's lips, the only part of his body that was exposed, were stung countless times by the swarms of the sea nettle jellyfish that surrounded him, slowly trailing their long tentacles. He was getting into position to photograph a sea lion carcass when a sea lion appeared from the murky waters to investigate.

Climate change threatens the future of the California sea lion, as warmer waters push their prey to colder climes. At the same time these rises in global temperatures are increasing jellyfish numbers, which in turn is disrupting marine ecosystems that are already under pressure. The result could be a world where jellyfish become increasingly dominant and marine megafauna dwindle into oblivion.