vanessa Mignon, Our oceans, our life (Doco/Photojournalism (2018))

In my opinion, healthy oceans are the lifeblood of planet Earth. They produce more than half of the oxygen in the atmosphere, absorb huge amounts of CO2, regulate weather and temperature, and are home to a huge biodiversity. Unfortunately, many people never have the chance to venture further than the coasts, and if they do, many only see the surface. Waves coming and going. From the surface, everything seems the same. But in reality, things are changing… The oceans are increasingly being contaminated, with plastic being a main issue and a killer of birds, turtles, whales, etc. The oceans are being overfished, with some species being driven to extinction. Precious habitats are being destroyed, existing marine sanctuaries are at risks of losing their protected status…. I could focus of the destruction that is happening, but instead I prefer to show the beauty of the underwater world. Many people would never have the chance to see those animals. As a diver, and as a photographer, I feel it’s my responsibility to showcase the beauty and diversity of what lives below the waves. And I wish that my pictures can raise awareness of what is at stake, and inspire people to care and protect our oceans. Those pictures are just a tiny representation of what is out there, but I do hope it will be enough to make the viewer interested in seeing/learning more about our oceans, and learning how to protect them. It all starts with us as an individual, and we can make a difference.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.