Shutter Shark 2016
The Shutter Shark Student Underwater Photography Contest was created and organized by graduate students at the Nova Southeastern University Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography (NSU-CNSO) in 2008.
It is a way for students to become more involved in the student community and serves as an artistic outlet incorporating their marine research and appreciation of the underwater world.
The contest is limited to current students and is designed as an avenue for amateur photographers to develop their skills and compete amongst their peers. The contest is judged by a panel of respected local underwater photographers and NSU-CNSO faculty.
Previous years have been a great success with several students who won or placed in past Shutter Shark contests having gone on to place in larger international photography competitions!
Read more about the Rules and Guidelines and Sponsors for Shutter Shark 2016.
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Topside Photography: First Place
Cynthia A. Cleveland
I found these pelicans standing on a sand bar while walking the beach on Andros Island, Bahamas. They didn't seem bothered by the company and posed for a few pictures.
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Black and White Photography: First Place
Cameron T. Perry
Whasha, WS236, was seen near Maamigili, South Ari Atoll on February 29 2016. He was very inquisitive and was trying to eat divers bubbles. This was the first time Whasha was seen on the South Ari MPA.
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Conservation Photography: Second Place
Cameron T. Perry
70% of the sharks in our database have some sort of anthropogenic injury. The primary cause of these injuries are boat propellors. WS198, Nacocco suffered a horrific injury a few months ago on his right side which has just healed up. He was spotted again on the MPA this time with the same type of laceration on the left side of his body. The MPA is very busy and there is no limitation on number of boats or people. Some boats and guides are very good with encounters and other are not. Speeding is rampant on the MPA and often results in the types of injuries seen here. Whale shark tourism is beneficial for conservation and protection of the species but we have to make sure that this tourism is not having a negative impact on the sharks. Just another example of how positive human interactions with wildlife (such as whale shark tourism) can have negative unintended consequences (such as boat strikes).
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Best Overall
Cynthia A. Cleveland
I found this Banded Coral Shrimp in an ocean blue hole off the coast of Andros Island, Bahamas. By timing the flow of the water just right, I was able to dive into the opening of the blue hole and get a brief glimpse of the creatures that call it home.
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Conservation Photography: Third Place
Cynthia A. Cleveland
Snorkeling with whale sharks in Oslob, Philippines was an extraordinary experience to be part of these gentle giants' world. Sadly, they have become dependent on being feed by the locals, making the sharks passive towards humans and vulnerable. It's said to have helped raise awareness of the animals, but at what cost?
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Macro Photography: Third Place
Cynthia A. Cleveland
Anemones have always been my favorite creature in the ocean, yet this trip to the Philippines was the first time I had seen Anemonefish while diving. I love the way the vibrant color of the False Clown Anemonefish pops as it dances with the anemone's serene movement.
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Black and White Photography: Third Place
Nicholas P. Jones
Lemon Shark taken free diving in Jupiter, Florida, U.S.A.
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Wide Angle Photography: Second Place
Mauricio Lopez
A juvenile nurse shark hides in an Acropora cervicornis colony.
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Macro Photography: Second Place
Hunter Noren
This was a tricky shot, I was snorkeling when I spotted this blenny under a xmas tree worm. It took me forever to get this shot, i had to approach very slowly because whenever the goby darted in, it triggered the xmas worm to retract. After over an hour of failed attempts I managed to hold my breath long enough to approach slowly and snap this shot, 2 seconds later both blenny and worm had retracted.
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Wide Angle Photography: First Place
Elizabeth Colhoun
This photo was taken off the west coast of Maui while I was snorkeling with my family. I am a huge sea turtle fan and I had been searching all day for one when this beautiful juvenile green sea turtle surprised us all and it made for a great photo and experience.
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Black and White Photography: Second Place
Hunter Noren
Took this picture of a juvenile lemon shark patrolling the sea grass beds. I had to lie and wait on snorkel for it to to swim past. I like it because it looks big but in actuality it was less than 4 ft. We watched this and another patrol the shallows behind the research center every day for a week. Due to their size, they were quite shy so it took multiple excursions to get the shot.
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Conservation Photography: First Place
Charles Walton
Acropora cervicornis, staghorn coral, populations have dramatically declined throughout the Caribbean since the 1970s. Efforts have been taken to help assist the population toward recovery. Here divers are "Restoring the Reef" by transplanting Acropora, cervicornis from an offshore nursery to a natural reef site in an effort to help sustain the local populations and increase genetic diversity.
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Wide Angle Photography: Honorable Mention
Nicholas P. Jones
A Green turtle glides effortlessly over a pristine coral reef in Southern Egypt, exhibiting perfect camouflage.
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Topside Photography: Honorable Mention
Nicholas P. Jones
This group of Ghost crabs on the beach of Cousin Island form a gauntlet for any new born turtle hatchlings. They are very active and constantly scurry around searching for food.
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Conservation Photography: Honorable Mention
Noah Cohen
This photo was taken at the Shark Reef Marine Reserve, a locally managed marine protected area in Fiji. The site is run as an ecotourism destination by Beqa Divers, who work with the local villages in managing the reef and the feeding sites. This image was taken on one of the many dives taken as part of an internship with broadreach, an study abroad organization. This photo is of a bull shark eating a trevally heads at one of the feeding sites on the reef. I feel the image covers the conservation issues of ecotourism and the issues of bycatch with commercial and recreational fisheries, referenced by the hook and line trail seen embedded in the jaw. I am unclear as to whether this violates the rule on staged photos or not since this is a feeding site and not a photo in a completely natural setting but thought I should submit it anyway.
