Photographer Angela Albi won first prize in the Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition with a striking image of fish being attacked by sharks in the shallow waters of the Maldives. Albi, a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour in Germany, collaborated with drone pilot August Paula to capture the winning photo.
The image showcases the raw instincts of nature as a school of silverside fish move in perfect synchrony before splitting to avoid the sharks. According to Albi, these are the best moments to observe interactions between reef sharks and their prey, when the shallow waters become clear and see-through just after sunrise or before sundown.
The competition has five categories, with various winners across different fields. In the behavior category, Albi’s image took first prize, while in other categories, top honors went to photographers capturing intricate nebulae, a supraglacial melting lake, and a detailed close-up of a bark scorpion’s eyes. The Royal Society competition highlights the importance of scientific photography in capturing nature’s beauty and complexity.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/03/science/royal-society-publishing-photo-winners-intl-scli/index.html