honorable mention
Tom Shlesinger israel
title
Coral Spawning
Most corals release small bundles of eggs and sperm into the open water, and let the currents carry them away, eventually to meet bundles from other corals on the way. The timing of this event is critical, and the release of reproductive material has to be well orchestrated at a particular hour of the night, on a specific night of the month, in a certain month of the year. Within seconds and in perfect synchrony, thousands of corals along hundreds of kilometers of a coral reef release their reproductive material simultaneously into the water. Sometimes, all of this happens in a time windows of only few minutes once a year. A colorful, upside-down snowstorm sweeps the water. Then slowly, all of those eggs and sperm float to the sea surface, breaking apart with the waves. Within a few moments the sea is filled with billions of eggs and sperm that are being carried away by the currents, mixing in the water, until they finally encounter a match – a sperm fertilizes an egg and new life is created.
This series of photos is part of an ongoing project documenting the unique reproductive phenomena of corals and other coral reef dwellers in the Red Sea. In the last few years, during the major reproduction season (summer) of many marine animals, I am snorkeling and free-diving for several hours every night in an effort to document and study their rare reproductive behavior.
Today, I am a marine biologist, underwater photographer, and a naturalist. Most of my photographic and scientific journeys focus on capturing unique moments of unseen behavioral and reproductive phenomena of coral reef inhabitants.
In many cases, underwater photographers are drawn to big fish and other animals due to their interesting behavior, abundance, brilliant colorations, or sheer size. In my photography, I try to bring into the spotlight the backbone of the fascinating underwater tropical world: stony corals. They are the engineers, architects, and the artists that build and maintain the complex reef structures, and breathe life into them.
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entry description
Corals have interesting sex lives. In a nutshell, most of them act as both male and female, producing both sperm and eggs. But they are attached to the seafloor - Without the ability to move, how can they find a mate in the vast ocean?Most corals release small bundles of eggs and sperm into the open water, and let the currents carry them away, eventually to meet bundles from other corals on the way. The timing of this event is critical, and the release of reproductive material has to be well orchestrated at a particular hour of the night, on a specific night of the month, in a certain month of the year. Within seconds and in perfect synchrony, thousands of corals along hundreds of kilometers of a coral reef release their reproductive material simultaneously into the water. Sometimes, all of this happens in a time windows of only few minutes once a year. A colorful, upside-down snowstorm sweeps the water. Then slowly, all of those eggs and sperm float to the sea surface, breaking apart with the waves. Within a few moments the sea is filled with billions of eggs and sperm that are being carried away by the currents, mixing in the water, until they finally encounter a match – a sperm fertilizes an egg and new life is created.
This series of photos is part of an ongoing project documenting the unique reproductive phenomena of corals and other coral reef dwellers in the Red Sea. In the last few years, during the major reproduction season (summer) of many marine animals, I am snorkeling and free-diving for several hours every night in an effort to document and study their rare reproductive behavior.
about the photographer
Since I can remember myself, I was attracted to the sea and its mysteries. My first dive took place in the Red Sea when I was only six years old, and since then I have been fascinated with the diversity of life forms and their behavior, colors, shapes, and patterns.Today, I am a marine biologist, underwater photographer, and a naturalist. Most of my photographic and scientific journeys focus on capturing unique moments of unseen behavioral and reproductive phenomena of coral reef inhabitants.
In many cases, underwater photographers are drawn to big fish and other animals due to their interesting behavior, abundance, brilliant colorations, or sheer size. In my photography, I try to bring into the spotlight the backbone of the fascinating underwater tropical world: stony corals. They are the engineers, architects, and the artists that build and maintain the complex reef structures, and breathe life into them.
back to gallery