"The Tramp of the Sea" by Ryan Stalker, Prize/Professional
The Ocean Drifter is a picture of a soccer ball covered with goose barnacles below the waterline. Just a football above the water. But below the waterline is a group of creatures. The football was washed away in Dorset after a huge ocean trip across the Atlantic and then returned to the sea to take pictures.
Goose barnacles are not native to the UK, but can wash up on our shores during a powerful Atlantic storm. Although the ball is waste and shouldn't be in the sea, I do want to know the journey of the ball. From getting lost in the first place, to spending time in the tropics where barnacles originate, and perhaps years in the open sea before reaching Dorset. However, these wastes may also bring with them organisms that may survive in UK waters and may become invasive species. More human waste in the ocean may increase the risk of more organisms entering our shores.
"Three Frogs" by Ian Mason, Champion/Animal Behavior
"Dancing in the Dark" by Matthew Glover, runner-up/Animal Behavior
"Feelings" by Laurie Braley, highly recommended/animal behavior
"The Leap" by Alastair Marsh, highly recommended/animal behavior
"A Proud Home" by Takaki Nemoto, highly recommended/animal behavior
"Assault" by Richard Sheldreck, highly recommended/animal behavior
To be continued