SeaWeb's Marine Photobank and Project AWARE Foundation
Announce the Winners of the

Ocean in Focus
Conservation Photography Contest

Grand Prize

A California Sea Lion Drowned in a Gill Net
Santa Barbara, California, US
Tom Campbell, (c) Save Our Seas, Ltd./Marine Photobank

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More winners >>
Press Release >>

SeaWeb's Marine Photobank and the Project AWARE Foundation challenged ocean lovers worldwide to submit their most compelling marine conservation images to the first annual Ocean in Focus Conservation Photography Contest. Thanks to all who participated in this unique contest.

Grand prize winner Tom Campbell received highest honors for his shot, a California sea lion (above) caught in a deep water gill net. Campbell believes that most images with visual impact are not taken by design. “When a photographer comes across such an unfortunate sight as I did, we have the opportunity to shoot and share a compelling, disturbing image to help show what’s happening beneath the surface of the sea,” said Campbell.

Contest categories were: Species of Concern/Ecosystem Decline and Humans and the Ocean: Impacts and Solutions. A huge thank you to our prize donors: Plaza Resort Bonaire; Backscatter Underwater Photo and Video; NativeEnergy; and National Geographic.

Category winners Claire Fackler, Steve Spring, Marco Carè and Steve Whitford were also awarded prizes recognizing their photographic achievements.

The winning photos largely highlight the impact of fishing gear and marine debris. Other noteworthy submissions can be viewed in the galleries Humans and Ocean: Impacts and Solutions and Ecosystem Decline/Species of Concern.

Remember, though the contest has ended Photographers and conservationists of all experience levels are encouraged to contribute environmental images to SeaWeb’s Marine Photobank and show support for conservation through Project AWARE Foundation. These images help researchers, educators, non-governmental organizations and the media depict ocean degradation and solutions to recovery. Contribute your photos! >>

A big thank you to our esteemed judges:
Sylvia Earle - Oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence
Wolcott Henry - world renowned photographer, President of the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation
Ty Sawyer - Editor in Chief of Sport Diver magazine, Editorial Director of Islands magazine and Undersea Journal
Bob Talbot - world renowned photographer and filmmaker

Winners for Each Category

Humans and the Ocean: Impacts and Solutions 1st Prize	Ecosystem Decline/ Species of Concern 1st Prize
Albatross Chick Killed by Plastic Marine Debris Kure Atoll, Hawaii (c) Claire Fackler/Marine Photobank Register download high res version>>	Sea Turtle Entangled in Fishing Gear Mediterranean Sea, Libya (c) Marco Carè/Marine Photobank Register to download high res version>>
2nd Prize	2nd Prize
Tires Strewn About the Ocean Floor Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (c) Steve Spring/Marine Photobank Register to download high res version>>	A Seal Pup Tangled in Fishing Gear Isle of Shoals, Maine (c) Steve Whitford/Marine Photobank Register to download high res version>>

Prizes >>

Photo Contest Press Release >>

The story behind Tom Campbell's grand prize photo:
Tom Campbell, filmmaker and photographer, and fellow filmmaker and photographer Howard Hall were commissioned to shoot a film in the Channel islands of Southern California, US. Their first project was to capture imagery of the drift nets, once common throughout the Santa Barbara Channel, which separates the Channel Islands from the mainland. Diving 100 feet below the surface in an area where the seafloor was more than 5,000 feet below them, they were horrified by the sight of suffering and death. Dolphins, seal lions, whales and anything that swam into these nets, which could stretch for a mile, were caught and drowned.

Soon after they began shooting images, fishermen found out about their activities and were not pleased with the attention that their fishing activities were attracting. This did not deter Tom and his partner. Trained as a military diver, Tom set up a night time operation where he would dive after midnight to avoid drawing the attention of the fishermen. Eventually the fishermen found out about his night time activities. As a result, they Tom and Howard were harassed and even received death threats. Undeterred, they continued to capture images and footage of the gruesome death.

"I took this shot at 4am. Light was starting to come up from beneath," said Campbell of his winning photo. "This was an animal that was struggling to get to the surface for a breath of air and finally succumbed to its entanglement in the net."

"I can tell you this shot has done something for the environment," said Campbell. As a result of this and his other photos, legislation was passed to stop this destructive practice. "It was one of the pictures used to restrict the use of gill nets in the Channels Islands."

Contest Sponsored By:

www.projectaware.org		www.marinephotobank.org
		www.seaweb.org

Thank You to Our Prize Donors!

www.plazaresortbonaire.com		www.backscatter.com
www.nativeenergy.com		www.nationalgeographic.com