My Home Is Being Eaten
Francisco Albergoli | @fran.albergoli
A red handfish (Thymichthys politus), one of Australia’s rarest endemic fishes, rests among algae being consumed by a short-spined sea urchin (Heliocidaris erythrogramma). Found only in a single coastal habitat in southern Tasmania, red handfish “walk” along the seafloor using modified pectoral fins rather than swimming. With fewer than 250 individuals remaining in the wild, the species is on the edge of extinction. Its primary threat is habitat degradation linked to localised overpopulation of short-spined urchins, which can overgraze algal communities. My research focuses on managing urchin populations and restoring this critical habitat. It also aims to fill key knowledge gaps in red handfish ecology, including their diet, which is unknown in the wild. Is the small invertebrate visible here as potential prey? And are these food resources also being lost as the ecosystem continues to degrade?
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.
