tech
Blue mushrooms, shy trees and glowing seas: Beaker Street science photography prize
The 12 finalists will be exhibited at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, including images of newborn fish, a native wasp and satellite trails across the night sky
TL;DR
- Bioluminescence from *Noctiluca scintillans* creates a shimmering blue coastline.
- Crown shyness in *Nothofagus cunninghamii* canopies results in gaps between tree crowns.
- Tasmanian Darwin wasps use antennae and ovipositors to lay eggs in beetle larvae.
- The 'turning of the fagus' features deciduous beech (*Nothofagus gunnii*) leaves changing color.
- *Hygrocybe firma* is a red fungus found in Tasmanian forests with a biotrophic relationship with plant roots.
- Magnificent hydroids (*Ralpharia magnifica*) resemble underwater flowers and are related to jellyfish.
- The red handfish (*Thymichthys politus*), one of Australia's rarest endemic fishes, is critically endangered.
- The orange-rimmed satin moth (*Thalaina selenaea*) exhibits wing scale disaggregation due to water surface tension.
- Australian ghostsharks (*Callorhinchus milii*) are cartilaginous fish that use their snouts to find prey.
- One-day-old red handfish hatchlings display yolk sacs for nourishment.
- A total lunar eclipse was observed as a 'blood moon' and a supermoon.
- Platypuses (*Ornithorhynchus anatinus*) have two-layered fur for thermal insulation in cold environments.
- Spotted pipefish (*Stigmatopora argus*) use camouflage and mimicry for survival.
- Satellite trails are an increasing problem for astronomical observations, creating artificial light pollution.