The votes are in for REEF's 2025 "Discover the Sea" Photography Contest! We are happy to announce the winners for each of the five categories.
Thank you to everyone who submitted photos to the contest and participated in the voting. Congratulations to all of our winners!
Fish Portrait Winners
1st Place: "Welcome to my home" by Chelsey Thwaites
2nd Place: "Hi Beautiful!" by Jenny Wuenschel
3rd Place: "El Pezzito leon" by Gabriel Jensen
Invertebrate Winners
1st Place: "Diamond Squid Chromatophores" by Gabriel Jensen
2nd Place: "Blue Ring Octopus" by Jamie Pardau
3rd Place: "Banded Coral Shrimp and co." by Dana Kowalsick
Macro Winners
1st Place: "Pygmy seahorse" by Burak Evrenosoglu
2nd Place: "Neon Wanderer" by Michael McCullough
3rd Place: "Flowing Juvenile Drum" by Tom Anderson
Habitat/Seascape/Environment Winners
1st Place: "Mbulu Caves" by Cassandra Clark
2nd Place: "Sea Lion Colony" by Masanori Yamaguchi
3rd Place: "The Ocean as Art" by Michelle Krotec
Comedy Winners
1st Place: "A Green Moray Walks Into a Bar…" by Daryl Duda
2nd Place: "Happy Eagle Ray" by Tom Anderson
3rd Place: "Surprise!" by Patricia Hartshorne
Fish Portrait Winner

1st Place: "Welcome to my home" by Chelsey Thwaites
Photographed in Saba
2nd Place: "Hi Beautiful!" by Jenny Wuenschel
Photographed at Blue Heron Bridge, FL
3rd Place: "El Pezzito leon" by Gabriel Jensen
Photographed in the Gulfstream off Boynton Beach, Florida
Invertebrate Winners
1st Place: "Diamond Squid Chromatophores" by Gabriel Jensen
Photographed in the Gulfstream off Boynton Beach, Florida
2nd Place: "Blue Ring Octopus" by Jamie Pardau
Photographed in Dumaguete, Philippines
3rd Place: "Banded Coral Shrimp and co." by Dana Kowalsick
Photographed in Bonaire
Macro Winners
1st Place: "Pygmy seahorse" by Burak Evrenosoglu
Photographed in Lembeh, Indonesia
2nd Place: "Neon Wanderer" by Michael McCullough
Photographed in South Ari Atoll, Maldives
3rd Place: "Flowing Juvenile Drum" by Tom Anderson
Photographed in Cozumel, Mexico
Habitat/Seascape/Environment Winners
1st Place: "Mbulu Caves" by Cassandra Clark
Photographed in the Solomon Islands
2nd Place: "Sea Lion Colony" by Masanori Yamaguchi
Photographed in Mexico
3rd Place: "The Ocean as Art" by Michelle Krotec
Photographed in Raja Ampat
Comedy Winners
1st Place: "A Green Moray Walks Into a Bar…" by Daryl Duda
Photographed in Key Largo
2nd Place: "Happy Eagle Ray" by Tom Anderson
Photographed in Cozumel, Mexico
3rd Place: "Surprise!" by Patricia Hartshorne
Photographed in Lembeh, Indonesia