Three winners have been selected in the 2021 Faces of Biology Photo Contest, sponsored by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) and the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB).
“Photography is an effective tool to help people understand how scientific research is done,” said Scott Glisson, CEO of AIBS. “AIBS launched this photo contest ten years ago to inspire scientists, educators, and students to communicate their work in a creative way to a broader audience. We are grateful to have SICB’s support this year in telling the story of science
The competition showcases biological research in its many forms and settings. The photos are used to help the public and policymakers better understand the value of biological research and education as well as relate to research and researchers on a more personal level.
First Place – Christopher Brown
Christopher Brown of Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, Georgia won first place with this photograph showing Environmental Science Majors Divida Milliner and Kelly Simpson standing waist deep in a local pond to learn how to seine net and mark-and-recapture sunfish.
Second Place – Dustin Angell
Dustin Angell, Director of Education at Archbold Biological Station in Venus, Florida, captured this photograph of wildlife biologist Chelsea Moore demonstrating how to “scope” a gopher tortoise burrow. These burrows can be several yards long and are used by hundreds of animals, including insects, mammals, reptiles, and even birds. In the photo, Chelsea is seen inspecting a burrow in the Florida Everglades using a scope with a video camera on its end.
Third Place – Tor Johnson
Tor Johnson with Conservation Dogs of Hawaii, a nonprofit organization that facilitates the research and use of ecological detection dogs in the Hawaiian archipelago, won third place. Tor captured this photo of bird biologist and dog handler Michelle Reynolds surveying a high-elevation site on a volcanic mountain on the Island of Hawaii for rare seabirds with her conservation detection dog, Panda.
A forthcoming issue of the journal BioScience will feature the first-place photograph on the cover and the second- and third-place photos in an article. All of the winners receive a one-year subscription to BioScience. Christopher Brown will also receive $250.