Foote et al. BMC Ecol (2017) 17:28 DOI 10.1186/s12898-017-0138-8 BMC Ecology EDITORIAL Open Access BMC ecology image competition 2017: the winning images Christopher Foote1* , Chris T. Darimont2, Michel Baguette3, Simon Blanchet4, Luke M. Jacobus5, Dominique Mazzi6 and Josef Settele7,8,9 Abstract For the ffth year, BMC Ecology is proud to present the winning images from our annual image competition. The 2017 edition received entries by talented shutterbug-ecologists from across the world, showcasing research that is increas- ing our understanding of ecosystems worldwide and the beauty and diversity of life on our planet. In this editorial we showcase the winning images, as chosen by our Editorial Board and guest judge Chris Darimont, as well as our selec- tion of highly commended images. Enjoy! Editorial Winning images Te 2017 edition of our image competition has produced Our overall winning image this year was Ana Carolina a terrifc array of images of the natural world, from close- Lima’s photo of giant South American turtles (Podoc- ups that capture the animated life of insects to aerial nemis expansa). Chris Darimont admired the “…rare, views of vast landscapes. As with previous editions of multi-layered perspective from above. Te photo is well the competition [1–4] we are thrilled at the diversity and composed, technically sound, and rich with wonderful excellence of the submissions we received from ecologists geometry” (Fig. 1). across the world. Our Conservation Ecology and Biodiversity Section Tis year we are delighted to have as our guest judge Editors Luke Jacobus and Josef Settele also admired Chris Darimont of the University of Victoria, Canada. As this image, not just for the photo itself, but also for the well as producing high quality interdisciplinary applied story behind it. Dr. Lima, based at the University of research for the beneft of natural and human systems, Aveiro, Portugal, conducts her research in the Brazil- Chris has demonstrated an admirable commitment to ian Cerrardo. Tis region is the largest savanna in South outreach and science communication. Tis, combined America and has been recognized as one of the 25 biodi- with his considerable enthusiasm for photography, made versity hotspots of the world [5, 6]. It holds considerable him an excellent judge to help select the very best from (and still considerably unquantifed) biodiversity, yet is the submissions we received this year. increasingly threatened by human development. As Luke Alongside Chris, once again our BMC Ecology Section Jacobus said of the image, “its story best communicates Editors lent their expertise to our competition, pick- the ideas of biodiversity and conservation. Brazil, in par- ing out their favourite images in their areas of special- ticular, is facing certain challenges to conservation of its ity. Having the input of such respected scientists as our biodiversity, and we stand to learn much about the Cer- judges ensures our winning images are picked as much rado so that loss of its diversity can be minimized.” for the scientifc story behind them as for the technical Tis photo, alongside another image by Dr. Lima of a quality and beauty of the images themselves. frog from the family Leptodactylidae (included among our highly commended images), does a fantastic job of showcasing the diversity of the Brazilian Cerrardo that her research contributes to conserving. It is a worthy *Correspondence: [email protected] winner of this year’s competition. 1 BMC Ecology, BioMedCentral, London, UK Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s) 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. Foote et al. BMC Ecol (2017) 17:28 Page 2 of 10 Fig. 1 Overall winner: Podocnemis expansa. “The Giant South American turtle (Podocnemis expansa), also known as the tartaruga-da-amazônia, is the largest of the side-neck turtles. This picture was taken in one of the most important areas of conservation for this species: the Cantão State Park, in Tocantins, Brazil. The Park is located in the Brazilian “Savanna” or Cerrado, a biodiversity hotspot that is yet poorly known but is thought to be equally or even more biodiverse than the Amazon ecosystem. I was there as part of a research group working in the feld to collect data on the status of reptiles and amphibians’ populations for conservation purposes.” Attribution: Ana Carolina Lima Runners up the spider or bee. In this image, however, the star is the Our frst runner-up presents quite a contrast to our smaller fy. Tis parasite, tack sharp, commands the overall winner. Whereas the image of turtles presented a attention it deserves as a major player in this interaction snapshot of life in tropical rainforests, teeming with life, and in ecosystems in general.” Christin Säwström’s (Edith Cowan University, Western Our Section Editor Simon Blanchet also enthused Australia) photo ‘Two towers’ captures the austere land- about this photo: “Tis picture, by encapsulating a four- scape of the Antarctic (Fig. 2). way species interaction, perfectly illustrates the complex- Chris Darimont commented that the image is “not ity of species interactions by illustrating the dependence sharp in the low light environment, an efect that gives it of species on each other, but also the fabulous power of a winter dreamy feel. Also, because of its softer edges, it evolution to optimize all the energy available in a food resembles a painting. Owing to this uncertainty, it invites web and to generate aesthetic entities.” close and sustained examination. Whether by design or happenstance, this is a rare approach that produced an Behavioral ecology and physiology arresting image.” Our winner in this category was Maïlis Huguin from Our second runner-up, an image by Roberto García- the Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, French Guiana with Roa of the University of Valencia, Spain entitled ‘Con- his image, ‘Wakeful’, of a lone ant defending its territory nections’, shows a remarkable series of ecological (Fig. 4). interactions (Fig. 3). A predatory spider, camoufaged Section Editor Dominique Mazzi admired “an appeal- by the white plant on which it hunts, has caught a large ingly simple image with the two colors alternating in bee, which is also being attacked by a parasitic fy. As strong contrast and a succeeded crossing from sharp to Chris Darimont put it, “its title sums up what I like best un-sharp. Te ant stands at attention with a determina- here. Typically in pictures with animals, one is drawn to tion that suggests that the leaf it is watching over is the the eyes of the larger, charismatic subjects, in this case most important thing in the whole world. At the same Foote et al. BMC Ecol (2017) 17:28 Page 3 of 10 Fig. 2 First runner-up: Two towers. “The tranquil and frozen East Antarctic sea ice landscape in the winter months showing of its amazing pink skies and fantastic icebergs. During my PhD I spent over a year at Davis station in the Australian Antarctic Territory doing research on two freshwater lakes in the Antarctic lake oasis known as the Vestfold Hills. I was lucky to capture these “two towers” and the striking moon on a sea ice trip near the Davis station in June 2004.” Attribution: Christin Säwström time, the ant calls for the viewer’s attention as if claiming Conservation ecology and biodiversity that if it was not for its guarding it, then the most impor- Chosen by Section Editors Luke Jacobus and Josef Settele, tant thing in the whole world would be lost.” our winner in this category was Professor Zhigang Jiang Chris Darimont also liked the impression the ant gives of the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, us: “It appears territorial but also says to me, ‘I’m an indi- China with his image of a male Tibetan antelope guard- vidual and I count’, which protests against the reality that ing his harem of females (Fig. 6). this individual is very likely a tiny and subjugated part of Josef Settele commented that this is “a species and eco- a larger social whole.“ system that is often underrepresented” and is a reminder of the importance of Chinese conservation eforts in this Community, population and macroecology fragile ecosystem. We also admired the composition of “L’avenir appartient à ce qui se lèvent tôt”—the future the photo, with the females facing away from us, but the belongs to those who get up early. Tis French saying male glaring directly at the camera as though preparing was brought to mind for our Section Editor Simon Blan- to defend his harem. chet, as he chose the winning image for the Community, Population and Macroecology category, entitled ‘Catch- Landscape ecology and ecosystems ers on a hot tin roof’ (Fig. 5). Te winning image in this category was an image from Te photo of a group of oyster catchers assembling in Mount Teide, the huge volcano located on Tenerife, cap- the morning sun, taken by Professor Trevor Sherwin of tured by Professor Harry Seijmonsbergen from the Uni- the University of Auckland, New Zealand, was particu- versity of Amsterdam, Holland (Fig. 7). larly liked by Simon for the “colors of this early morning Our Section Editor Michel Baguette explained his picture.