News
UN World Oceans Day Winners
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The winners of the ninth annual United Nations World Oceans Day Photo Competition were announced during the United Nations World Oceans Day (UNWOD) 2022 event at the UN Headquarters in New York. The free competition, which launched this past March, explored the six thematic categories linked to the overarching 2022 World Oceans day theme: “Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean.” World-renowned judges including wildlife photographer Rathika Ramasamy, Conservation Photojournalist & Marine Biologist Sirachai Arunrugstichai, and Underwater Photographer Y. Zin Kim, selected first, second, and third place winners for the categories: Above Water Seascapes, Underwater Seascapes, Revitalization, Coastal Communities, Ocean Critters, and Nature-Based Solutions & Ocean Exploration. Winners were selected from the thousands of global entries made by both amateur and professional photographers.
- Above Water Seascapes Nguyen Vu, Cao, Vietnam, 1st Place ‘OCEAN LOTUS LEAF’ In every profession we can find challenges but also beauty. When the fishermen head out on the water, they hope to return with boats full of fish and shrimp out of necessity. I simply want to convey the beauty of the art of fishing with seine nets in my homeland. Quang Ngai province, Vietnam.
- Coastal Communities Supachai Veerayutthanon ,Thailand, 1st Place Bajau, for many generations, from birth to death, from young to old, they spend their entire lives on their boats. They are not citizens of any state. The sea is their birthplace and their only home on earth.
- Adriana Campili, marine biology researcher check the status of the Reef Aquarium inside the laboratory of the Australian Institute of Marine Science. The AIMS is the most specialized authority in charge of the Great Barrier Reef’s monitoring conditions. Inside its Sea Simulator are carried out the most state-of-the-art experiments on corals aimed at secure a future for our reefs.In this picture I wanted to depict the tight connection between the human being and the marine ecosystem, underlining the importance of this natural bond.
- Nat Sumanatemeya, Thailand, 2nd Place Julia Nilsson free dives with thousands of stingless golden jellyfish in Ongeim’l Tketau or Fifth Lake on Eil Malk island in Palau. The image was taken in 2019 when the lake reopened after being closed for over two years. The impact of El Nino in 2016 caused declining numbers of golden jellyfish in Jellyfish Lake and the closing was aimed to give nature time to restore.
- Ocean Critters Viktor Lyaguskin, Georgia, 1st Place ‘Aliens meet spaceship’ Caprellas, also known as skeleton shrimps, are very funny and tiny animals: they grow to a maximum of 6 cm long. They are very social and active, eating non stop and fighting with each other. The ‘spaceship’ is a Bolinopsis infundibulum, common northern comb jelly. Bolinopsis don’t sting but are carnivorous and eat everything they catch, even other comb jellies. In my image it is floating under the ice.
- Revitalization Aunk Horwang, Thailand, 1st Place Ghost nets are one of the deadliest forms of marine pollution in the Thai oceans. On frequent occasions the ghost fishing nets entangle large marine creatures like this manta ray. This can be life threatening to them if not rescued, for example by a diver.
The United Nations World Oceans Day event and the Photo Competition are hosted by the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, produced with the contribution of Oceanic Global and made possible by La Mer. The annual competition is curated by Ellen Cuylaerts, and coordinated with DivePhotoGuide (DPG) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.
The 2022 winning photographers hail from over 12 different countries. Their names include: Cao Nyugen Vu, Christophe Mason-Parker (Above Water Seascapes), Damir Zurub, Nat Sumanatemeya, Nicholas Hahn (Underwater Seascapes), Rick Morris, Nuno Vasco Rodrigues, Aunk Horwang (Revitalization), Celia Kujala, Amitava Chandra, Supachai Veerayutthanon, (Coastal Communities), Gabriel Barathieu, Jennifer Johnson, Viktor Lyagushkin (Ocean Critters), Tom Vierus, Giacomo d’Orlando (Nature-Based Solutions & Ocean Exploration). All participants signed a Charter of 14 commitments regarding ethics in photography.
The United Nations World Oceans Day Photo Competition is an ongoing tradition that calls on photographers and artists from around the world to communicate the beauty of the ocean and the importance of the respective UNWOD themes each year. Winning photos from past years can additionally be seen at www.unworldoceansday.org.
Header Image: OCEAN LOTUS / Nguyen Vu/ UNworldoceansday.org
News
Book Review: Fire on Monroe Bravo by Fred Lockwood
![the ship beneath the ice](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Book-Review.jpg)
Fire on Monroe Bravo is the latest book in the Jack Collier series by Fred Lockwood. Our story begins with our lead characters, Jack and Sandro, owners of Marine Salvage & Investigation Company, arriving on the Monroe Bravo Oil & Gas Platform in the North Sea. Having secured a contract for their vessel the MV Stavanger to act as support ship to the platform for TransGlobal Oil, our protagonists are on a celebratory visit.
However almost as soon as they arrive a series of explosions rock the platform, causing huge damage, loss of life and the very real danger of a massive human, ecological and financial disaster.
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/fireonmonroebravo-683x1024.jpg)
As the danger mounts for both our heroes and the surviving workers, Jack and Sandro will have to escape the inferno, all while trying to save the platform and the men still trapped unable to help themselves.
The disaster sets the scene for the unfolding story lines following the fate of the platform and our main characters, the police investigation into a suspected terrorist act and the actions of TransGlobal Oil as they attempt to navigate the pubic outcry and financial repercussions.
In his eighth book, Fire on Monroe Bravo, Fred Lockwood delivers an explosive thriller, with plenty of above and in-water drama, and our heroes fighting for survival, what more can you ask for?
We thoroughly recommend this read and look forward to the next in the series. For more information about his book series, you can check out the reviews of his previous books here on Scubaverse.
- Title: Fire On Monroe Bravo
- Author: Fred Lockwood
- ISBN: 979-8325324536
Available in a paperback version and for Kindle from Amazon and book stores.
Blogs
Alonissos: The complete diving destination (Part 1)
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In June we were incredibly fortunate to be invited to dive in Alonissos, a small Greek Island in the Sporades island chain located in the North Aegean Sea. While I have long been a big fan of the Greek Islands as a great holiday destination, I had not had the opportunity to do any diving on previous visits and Mike and I were extremely excited to see what Alonissos had to offer both above and below the surface!
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The Sporades are easily accessible via the airport in Skiathos (the first island in the chain), which is served by Jet2 flights from all major UK airports from May through October. Numerous ferries and charter boats make island hopping from Skiathos Town a breeze. After an hour boat ride, the picturesque port of Patitiri was a wonderful introduction to Alonissos, where we were met by our gracious hosts Kostas of Albedo Travel and Dias of Alonissos Triton Dive Center. Mike and I were delighted to be staying at the Paradise Hotel, aptly named for its stunning views over the sea and great location for walking to the waterfront.
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Alonissos is beautifully situated in the National Marine Park of Alonissos and the Northern Sporades, the largest marine protected area in Europe. The surrounding seas offer fabulous marine life, including incredibly rare species such as the Mediterranean monk seal. They boast deep walls covered in gorgonians and sponges, stunning topography with caverns, swimthroughs and pinnacles, and the first accessible ancient shipwreck from 500BC!
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In locations where historical sites have been reported, the waters are largely restricted, but with collaboration between government, underwater archeologists and dive centres, incredible underwater museums are being created for a truly unique diving experience. Alonissos is home to the first of these, the Ancient Shipwreck of Peristera Accessible Underwater Archeological Site. The chance to dive into history (along with reports of healthy reef life and amazing underwater topography) meant Mike and I were keen to get in the water.
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Our introduction to the diving around Alonissos was at the Agios Georgios Pinnacles, in the channel between Alonissos and Skopelos. This fantastic site was named “The Chimney,’ and proved to have a huge amount to see. We got to a decent depth here (over 25m), and marvelled at a colourful reef wall with a wonderful swim through whose rocky walls were absolutely covered with life. As well as brilliant topography there was no shortage of macro life here. We saw numerous nudibranchs, five different species in total. The second dive at Mourtias reef nearby was a shallower dive along a nice wall with lots of crevices. Several moray eels and grouper called this site home. We enjoyed looking in the crevices for lobster and smaller benthic life, such as cup corals and tunicates.
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Our itinerary allowed us two dives a day with afternoons left to explore the island with our hire car and evenings to enjoy the famous Greek hospitality. This proved to be a lovely mix of in-water and land based diversions.
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The next days diving to the Gorgonian Gardens and Triton’s Cave was to be even better! These two stunning sites are nothing short of fabulous. The Gorgonian Gardens was a deep wall near to the Agios Georgios islands. The ever-present currents in this deep channel meant that the sea life was amazing … the namesake Gorgonian sea fans dotted the wall at a depth of 30 to 50 meters, getting ever larger the deeper we went. Above 30m was by no means less beautiful, with sponges, corals, scorpionfish, moray eels and some rare and colourful nudibranchs.
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/15-726x1024.jpeg)
The second shallower dive of the day was to Triton’s Cave or the Cavern of Skopelos, on the east side of that island. The spectacular rock formations had wild striations both above and below the water making a truly epic topography. The cavern entrance was at 14m, and big enough for a buddy pair, winding up to 6m and passing two beautiful windows out into the blue. Emerging from the cavern, the light at the shallower depths and the incredible rock formations made for a fantastic gentle swimming safety stop and we all surfaced by the boat with massive grins.
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/34-768x1024.jpeg)
Check out our next blog :Alonissos: The complete diving destination (Part 2)” to hear about our amazing dive on the 2500 year old Peristera Wreck!
Thanks to:
Alonissos Triton Dive Center https://bestdivingingreece.com/
Albedo Travel https://alonissosholidays.com/activities/
Paradise Hotel https://paradise-hotel.gr/
Alonissos Municipality https://alonissos.gr/en/
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