The most beautiful of the seven seas. The fascination of the creatures that inhabit the depths.
First launched in 2005 by the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in Miami, this year's photography contest dedicated to the underwater world also brought together thousands of participants from around the globe.
By: Oasis Team
Photos: Rosenstiel School, Miami
Starting with the overall winner of the 2015 edition, we present the reader with a gallery of winning photos from the four categories. It is a spectacular journey of discovery of the creatures that inhabit the depths of the seas that cover our planet.
Gallery
1 The overall winner of the 2015 edition of the Contest is Andrey Shpatak, with this amazing portrait of a Chirolophis japonicas, a bony fish quite widespread in the Pacific Ocean.
2. The award for best macro photography went to Tony Barros, with this photo of a crinoid shrimp (Periclimenes amboinensis) taken in the waters of Siquijor Island, in the Philippines.
3 The second best macro photograph depicts this pair of Priolepis aureoviridis, photographed in Indonesian waters by Ching Kwan Ng.
4. Bronze medal in the macro category for this photo of a Pleurosicya micheli taken by Mark Fuller off Eilat, Israel, in the Red Sea.
5th Award for Best Wide Angle for this photo of a white-breasted cormorant (Phalacrocorax lucidus) swimming peacefully amidst a school of jellyfish. Photo taken by Hani Bader.
6. Second place in the Wide Angle category for this school of Plectorhinchus polytaenia photographed in Indonesia by Filippo Borghi.
7. Third place for the Wide Angle section goes to this scorpionfish (Pterois volitans) photographed by Mark Fuller. The photo was also taken in Eilat, Israel, on the Red Sea.
8 Beth Watson's blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) won the award for best underwater creature portrait. The photo was taken in Indonesian waters.
9 This abyssal specimen of Macrouridae nezumia won second place in the Portraits category. Photo by Kostas Milonakis.
10. Third place, again in the Portraits category, for this curious pair of crested fish (Scartella cristata). Photo by Judy Townsend.
11 Laura Rock won first prize in the Student category with this spectacular photograph of a great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) taken in the Bahamas.
12 The same photographer, Laura Rock, also won second prize in the Student category with this evocative photo of a lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris).
13 A Pentaceraster cumingi, a Galapagos starfish. It won third place in the Student category. The photo is by Christopher Brown.