Award-winning sea creature photos

[CFOh]

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/award-winning-sea-creature-photos-1334913671-slideshow/award-winning-sea-creature-photos-photo-1334912271.html

More than 700 images were submitted for this year's underwater photography contest, put on annually by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science. Ximena Olds' photo of the headshield sea slug against a brilliant background of green seagrass took home the "best overall" award.

[CFOh]

Overall Winner

Ximena Olds – U.S. Virgin Islands

This dashing headshield sea slug photo taken by Ximena Olds (Florida) snagged "best overall" award.

CREDIT: Ximena Olds, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.

[CFOh]

Macro

Taking home first place in the Macro category, Canadian Todd Mintz's photo of these cute-as-can-be yellownose gobies, Elacatinus randalli, peering out from bolder brain coral in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean.

CREDIT: Todd Mintz, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.

[CFOh]

Fish or Marine Animal Portrait

Though this animal doesn't look like a tot, indeed the behemoth is just a babe, a juvenile sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). The photo, taken in Dominica by Douglas Kahle of Florida took home first place in the animal portrait category.

CREDIT: Douglas Kahle, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.

[CFOh]

Wide-angle

First place in the Wide Angle category went to this Lionfish, a species in the genus Pterois, in the Red sea, taken by Mark Fuller from Israel.

CREDIT: Mark Fuller, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.

[CFOh]

Fan Favorite

Todd Aki, Florida for the picture of Sea nettle Chrysaora quinquecirrh taken on an early morning shore dive off the Breakwater at Monterey, California, USA

[CFOh]

Macro 2nd Place

Davide Lopresti, Italy for the picture of Porcelain crab Porcellanella sp. on feathery sea pen Komodo National Park, Indonesia

[CFOh]

Macro 3rd Place

Marcello DiFrancesco, Italy for the picture of Emperor shrimp, Periclimenes imperator takes at Ambon, Indonesia

[CFOh]

Wide-angle 2nd Place

Matt Potenski, New Jersey for the picture of Red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) at South Bimini, Bahamas

[CFOh]

Wide-angle 3rd Place

Bill Lamp’l, Florida for the picture of Soft corals and scalefin anthias taken at Bligh Water, Fiji.

[CFOh]

Fish or Marine Animal Portrait - 2nd Place

Rockford Draper, Texas for the picture of Paddle flap Rhinopias, Rhinopias eschmeyeri (Bali, Indonesia)

[CFOh]

Fish or Marine Animal Portrait 3rd Place

Nicholas Samaras, Greece for the picture of Nudibranch, Cratena peregrina (Chalkidiki, Greece)

[CFOh]

Best Student Entry

Kyra Hartog for the picture of Whale shark, Rhincodon typus (Isla Mujeres, Mexico)

[CFOh]

Student 2nd Place

Phillip Gillette for the picture of Harlequin shrimp, Hymenocera picta(Similan Islands, Thailand)

[CFOh]

Student 3rd Place

Austin Gallagher, Florida for the photos of Juvenile tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, and lemon shark, Negap