Underwater Bouquet
Alison McNeice | @allymcfeatherhead
These Magnificent, or Stalked Hydroids (Ralpharia magnifica) look like a bouquet of underwater flowers, but this animal (yes, animal) is in fact a sessile organism related to the sea jellies. Like sea jellies (jellyfish), they have tentacles with stinging cells that catch prey as it drifts past. They can form small colonies or can live as a single organism, and have a complicated lifecycle that comprises alternating sessile and free-swimming stages. They are still poorly understood, despite being one of the more fascinating underwater sights in our Great Southern Reef.
BEAKER STREET SCIENCE PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE
This photograph was a finalist in Beaker Street’s annual Science Photography Prize. This highly-respected prize invites amateur and professional photographers to showcase the wonders of our extraordinary part of the world — which is teeming with science and scientists. Finalist images are displayed at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery during Beaker Street Festival each August, with great prizes on offer for Judges’ and People’s Choice winners.
The Beaker Street Science Photography Prize is sponsored by Pennicott Foundation — thank you crew! It would not be possible without the support of Full Gamut, Tasmania’s premier fine art printers, as well as the wonderful Tasmanian businesses who donate prizes.
