The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) organised a contest titled "Environmental Photographer of the Year 2010 Award" to promote public awareness on environmental protection.
Winning photographers will have their images showcased in a free international exhibition, which launches at The Air Gallery in London from October 25-30. Followings are some of the awarded photos:
An amazing picture of thousands of rays swimming through the ocean in a colossal school has scooped top prize in the CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year 2010 awards. The group of Munkiana Devil Rays were spotted in Baja California Sur, Mexico, by German conservation photographer Florian Schulz. He described how he was able to capture his jaw-dropping image named Flight of the Rays: "During an aerial expedition I came across something I had never seen before. Not even my pilot, who has surveyed this area for 20 years, had seen anything like it. As we got closer we started to discover its nature: an unprecedented congregation of rays. The group was as thick as it was wide, all heading towards the same direction. I have asked around why this took place but no one has been able to explain it to me. After such a unique sighting, I realise there are so many marvels in the oceans that we are yet to understand"
The Young Environmental Photographer of the Year title was taken by Radoslav Radoslavov Valkov. Amateur Radoslav, 20, created his stunning macro image of a fly drinking from a dew drop on a blade of grass in his back garden in Bulgaria.
Winner of Natural World group: Bence Mate's picture of a hummingbird attacking a green pit viper
Winner of the Innovation group: Rowan E Bestmann's picture of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. In an effort to improve the city's grey water runoff, the government of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia developed an innovative way to purify the water through a series of channels and causeways
Winner of Changing Climates group - Ashley Cooper, from Cumbria: On December 5, 2009, the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition organised the Wave, a demonstration against climate change that attracted 50,000 people
Finalist in the Changing Climate group: Sue Floods' picture of the North Pole sign in melting ice and meltwater
Finalist for the Natural World group: Sandor Zsila's picture titled 'Argument' which shows three Collared Aracari birds on a branch.
