Advertisements The overall winner is Roberto García-Roa, an evolutionary biologist and conservation photographer affiliated with the University of Valencia (Spain) and Lund University (Sweden). Only looking at his photo makes you stare in awe and at the same time be terrified (at least that’s how I felt). But wait until you see the background, it’s even wilder.
Roberto captured the winning photo in the Peruvian jungle of Tambopata. “The spores of the so-called ‘Zombie’ fungus (e.g. genera Ophiocordyceps) infect arthropods by infiltrating their exoskeleton and minds,” the photographer explains. Other than the overall winner, the judges chose the best image and the runner-up from each of the four categories:
Relationships in NatureBiodiversity under ThreatLife Close UpResearch in Action
The jury considered the scientific story behind the photos in addition to their artistic quality. BMC Ecology and Evolution’s Senior Editorial Board Member, Christy Anna Hipsley, commented on the winning image saying that it has “a depth and composition that conveys life and death simultaneously.” Like every year, the contest attracted entries from ecologists and evolutionary biologists from around the world. The condition for submitting your work is that you’re affiliated with a research institution. You can find more information on BMC Ecology and Evolution’s website, and take a look at this year’s category winners and runner-ups below.
