Media Gallery: Photos Newest

  • A whale shark swims with a diver off the coast of East Africa.

    Whale Shark Off Coast of East Africa
    Feb 25 2013 - 10:33am
    When you think of African animals, what do you think of? Probably the “Big Five:” lions, elephants, leopards, buffalo and rhinos. But Africa also has an incredible amount of marine diversity in the...
  • “Golden sweepers form schools in reef crevices and caves and among coral heads. The technique I employed to make this image was a long exposure and rear curtain synchronization combined with a circular rotation of the camera during the shot. Buyat Bay, a threatened area, is home to one of the highest numbers of coral and fish species in the world.” -- Nature's Best Photographer, Jeff Yonover

    Golden Sweepers, Pulau Tulang, Buyat Bay, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
    Feb 21 2013 - 10:45am
    These beautiful pink and yellow shimmering fish (Parapriacanthus ransonneti) live in large groups among corals and in caves where they feed on zooplankton at night.
  • A close-up photo of Killer Algae, Caulerpa taxifolia, a seaweed that has proven to be a successful invasive species.

    Killer Algae (Caulerpa taxifolia)
    Feb 20 2013 - 10:16am
    A strain of this green seaweed, native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, escaped public and private aquariums in California, Japan, Australia, and Monaco. It has spread widely in the Mediterranean,...
  • <p>This pair of sea butterflies (<em>Limacina helicina</em>) flutter not far from the ocean's surface in the Arctic.</p>

    A Pair of Sea Butterflies
    Feb 15 2013 - 10:56am
    This pair of sea butterflies (Limacina helicina) flutter not far from the ocean's surface in the Arctic. Sea butterflies are a type of sea snail, but instead of dragging themselves around the...
  • One-third of Australia's territorial waters is protected as a marine preserve, includes an underwater canyon as large as the U.S. Grand Canyon, seagrass meadows, and the biodiverse reefs of the Coral Sea, including the one shown here.

    Australia's 1.2 Million Mile Marine Reserve
    Feb 13 2013 - 10:55am
    In November 2012, Australia began protecting a huge swath of its ocean from overfishing and oil exploration, creating the largest network of marine reserves in the world at a grand total of 1.2...
  • <p>It's a pygmy seahorse (<em><strong><a href="http://eol.org/pages/994189/overview">Hippocampus bargibanti</a></strong></em>), found in Indonesia's biodiverse <strong><a href="/blog/making-science-sing-longest-time-coral-triangle-edition">Coral Triangle</a></strong> and one of the smallest seahorse species in the world! They can change colors like a chameleon to blend into their environment. This helps to protect them from predators and ambush their prey.</p>

    Can You Spot the Seahorse?
    Feb 12 2013 - 9:58am
    It's a pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti), found in Indonesia's biodiverse Coral Triangle and one of the smallest seahorse species in the world! They can change colors like a chameleon to blend...
  • This crab has a parasitic barnacle rooted in its reproductive system.

    Parasitic Barnacle on a Crab
    Feb 11 2013 - 10:17am
    This swimming crab (Liocarcinus holsatus) has a parasitic barnacle rooted in its reproductive system. This invasion cuts off all reproduction for an infected crab and can even cause a male crab to...
  • A collage of the wildlife found in one cubic foot on the reef near Moorea, French Polynesia.

    One Cubic Foot of Reef
    Feb 7 2013 - 9:11am
    Photographer David Liittschwager took a 12-inch metal frame to Moorea, French Polynesia, and four other disparate environments to see how much life he could find in one cubic foot. Read more about...
  • "This particular shark was just as curious as I was, which enabled me to capture such an amazing shot. His eye came just above the surface and stared back at me as if to show me he was watching, while below the surface his mouth opened to reveal his sharp teeth.” -- Nature's Best Photographer, Deano Cook

    Lemon Shark, Offshore Grand Bahamas Island
    Feb 6 2013 - 9:47am
    At night this lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) lurks at the surface, but often during the day they will lie on the ocean bottom. This behavior had been thought to save them energy, but in reality...
  • Sargassum forms dense clumps up to the size of a beach ball that slowly rotate as they drift.

    Floating Sargassum Seaweed
    Feb 5 2013 - 11:08am
    Sargassum fluitans, a.k.a. “Gulfweed,” forms dense clumps up to the size of a beach ball that slowly rotate as they drift. The fronds are quite dense, but if you look carefully, sometimes you can see...
  • “The southern elephant seal is a truly restrained behemoth. Males can grow to be five times larger than females, up to 5,000 pounds. This elephant seal may look fierce, but he was simply yawning over and over in the wave-wash. This allowed me to try multiple ways of getting this impressive pose, including lying down in the water without disturbing him.” -- Nature's Best Photographer, Justin Hofman

    Southern Elephant Seal, Gold Harbour, South Georgia
    Feb 4 2013 - 10:24am
    The largest of all seal species, the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) is found in chilly Antarctic and Subantarctic waters. The male seals dive as deep as 1,430 meters (over 4,600 feet) and...
  • A beroid ctenophore lunges toward prey with its mouth wide open.

    Mouth Agape Comb Jelly
    Feb 1 2013 - 11:16am
    A beroid ctenophore lunges toward prey with its mouth wide open. Beroid comb jellies don't have tentacles to catch prey: instead, they can open their mouths and snap them shut tight to trap prey...