The Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 competition has unveiled its remarkable finalists in the 'Hope' category, featuring powerful images that capture both the beauty and resilience of marine ecosystems around the world. These stunning photographs tell stories of conservation success, scientific research, and the enduring power of nature to regenerate and thrive.
Among the standout entries is photographer Holmes' breathtaking image of vibrant soft corals at Maalhoss Thila in the North Ari Atoll of the Maldives. "I have rarely seen such lush, colorful soft corals on this scale, so I was overjoyed to dive at this location in the Maldives," Holmes explains. "Also known as Blue Caves, this site has been thriving for years, and having dived here over twenty years ago, it seems more colorful and species-rich than ever today – a beacon of hope for the future."
Conservation efforts take center stage in several compelling entries, including Arunrugstichai's documentation of groundbreaking shark breeding programs in Thailand. One photograph shows an aquarist holding a glass vessel containing an early-stage embryo of an Indo-Pacific leopard shark (Stegostoma tigrinum), whose egg capsule was removed for a breeding experiment at Aquaria Phuket, one of Thailand's largest private aquariums. Since 2023, the aquarium's staff-driven breeding program has produced over 40 juveniles of this endangered species, which is listed on the IUCN Red List.
The conservation story continues with images of Pongsathorn Bauer, a Thai aquarist from Aquaria Phuket known as "Shark Dad," releasing a young Indo-Pacific leopard shark into a marine enclosure off Maiton Island, Phuket. Aquaria Phuket is now collaborating with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, ReShark, WildAid, Ocean Blue Tree, and private partners on the StAR Project (Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery) Thailand, with plans to reintroduce these sharks to the wild starting in August 2025.
Scientific research features prominently in the collection, with photographer Bret capturing M.Sc. student Viktoria Sturm filling a CBASS tank (Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System) with freshly collected coral fragments for a heat stress experiment. Her research project, conducted in the Seychelles, aims to determine the tolerance and resilience of four locally occurring reef-building coral species to rising temperatures in order to improve coral restoration methods. "With this image, I wanted to capture the attention and care that Viktoria Sturm devoted to the coral fragments," Bret explains, "while highlighting the close connection between humans and coral reefs and the crucial importance of scientific research in mitigating biodiversity loss."
The diversity of marine life is celebrated in multiple entries, including Földi's discovery of a squid egg during an early morning dive off Gatto Island, about 50 minutes by boat from Malapascua in the Philippines. "I had been to this dive site many times and was always amazed by the diversity of underwater life," Földi notes. "At the end of the first dive, I noticed this squid egg on the seabed. The egg, only 23 centimeters in size, had drifted away from the nest and other eggs. I didn't have much time to take a photo as I had to return to the surface."
Spectacular spawning events feature in several images, including Lorenz's documentation of snapper spawning in Palau, a monthly event where up to 30,000 snappers gather in strong currents to spawn. "They form rapidly moving schools of fish that release such dense quantities of eggs into the water that the lurking sharks can barely be seen," Lorenz describes. Similarly, Otani captured the elusive moment of a cardinalfish spawning at night, describing it as "like a volcano full of life erupting" and feeling as though "the secret of life was finally being revealed."
Marine protected areas demonstrate their effectiveness through photographer Maynier's encounter with an octopus and its eggs in the Kay Pothuau Marine Protected Area in Martinique. "In Martinique, the octopus, locally called Chatroux, is becoming increasingly rare due to human overexploitation," Maynier explains. "Marine protected areas have been established to provide refuge for all species, including octopuses, protecting them from overfishing and preserving biodiversity. In this context, this encounter with an octopus and its eggs clearly stands as a genuine sign of hope for conservation."
The collection also includes Hyeon Min's mesmerizing image of countless juvenile fish swirling around a dome-shaped coral in sunlit water. "The living coral, untouched by bleaching, was full of growth organisms and formed a complex and harmonious ecosystem that felt like a tiny planet," Hyeon Min describes. "In a time when marine ecosystems are rapidly disappearing, this image is a reminder of what we still have – and a hopeful outlook on what we must protect for the future."
Technical mastery is evident throughout the collection, with photographers like Sanders documenting rare spawning events of giant barrel sponges surrounded by feeding midnight snappers, and Stock capturing millions of ethereal, glittering sardines at Puri Pinnacle with careful attention to lighting and shutter speed to avoid overexposure from their highly reflective skin.
These finalist photographs in the 'Hope' category of Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 collectively demonstrate that despite mounting environmental challenges, marine ecosystems continue to show remarkable resilience and beauty. Through the lens of talented photographers worldwide, these images serve as both documentation of current conservation successes and inspiration for continued efforts to protect our oceans for future generations.
