Ocean Citizen Scientists Use Underwater Photography to Support Marine Conservation and Fundamental Research

The 2022 Image Bay Underwater Photography Competition received 634 entries. The competition incorporated the concept of ocean citizen scientists, inviting photographers to submit GPS coordinates, water temperature, depth, and other information alongside their photos. These detailed sighting records help build a foundational biological database for Chaojing Bay, serving as reference material for researchers studying habitat and environmental change.

The competition was divided into wide-angle and macro categories, with a newly added "Special Marine Behavior Award." We also invited the winning photographers — all ocean citizen scientists — to share how they use underwater photography to support marine conservation.

From Keeping Fish to Photographing Them: An Ocean Citizen Scientist Who Shoots for Realism – Chan Pin-Chieh

Chan Pin-Chieh took first place in the wide-angle category of the 2022 Image Bay Underwater Photography Competition. Capturing all of Chaojing's underwater character in a single moment, his work Dream · Realm won over the judges.

Award-Winning Work by Ocean Citizen Scientist: Dream · Realm

Chaojing's signature soft corals and barrel sponges, together with glassfish scattered like stars across the reef top of the Secret Garden — and a friendly Grouper that swam into frame and looked straight at the lens. As dreamlike as it seems — almost like "Chaojing from a dream" — realism is Chan Pin-Chieh's defining photographic style.

Becoming an Ocean Citizen Scientist Changed His Approach to Shooting

Chan Pin-Chieh has been diving and shooting underwater photography for around six or seven years. Before that, his passion was keeping fish: he had a roughly four-foot marine tank at home. During one house move, a power outage wiped out every fish and piece of coral overnight. He later took up diving, plunging into the boundless ocean and falling in love with a way of interacting with marine life that felt entirely different from keeping a tank.

"Compared to a marine tank, the fish have a huge range to swim in — and when you're diving, they actually circle around you! While you're taking photos, they'll hover less than 50 cm away, watching what you're doing. It feels just like having a little dog or pet at home; it's more intimate and more full of life."

The ocean citizen scientist concept further transformed Chan's mindset: "Different creatures appear at different times, so I find myself wanting to go back periodically and document their lives and environment over time." As someone who also enjoys macro photography, he changed his shooting style: he used to reach for colored gels for the ideal shot, but now, wanting to clearly document biological features, he has gone back to using natural sunlight and strobes — prioritizing realistic documentation that contributes to building a biological database.

Over Ten Years of Underwater Photography: An Ocean Citizen Scientist Who "Interacts with Them" – Hsu Chih-Liang

Hsu Chih-Liang took first place in the macro category of the 2022 Image Bay Underwater Photography Competition, capturing a spiraling sea whip with a striking sense of three-dimensional depth — and a commensal shrimp living right on it.

Award-Winning Work by Ocean Citizen Scientist: Sea Whip Shrimp

The sea whip, roughly as thick as a finger, spirals across a span equivalent to the length of an arm. The sea whip shrimp perched on it measures barely 1 cm in body length! By capturing details such as the shrimp's eyes and markings, and using lighting techniques to create a sense of shadow, Hsu achieved a powerfully three-dimensional result.

An Ocean Citizen Scientist Keeping a Watchful Eye on Marine Conservation

Hsu Chih-Liang began diving and shooting underwater photography in 2009. Over the years, not only has his equipment and technique improved, but his subject matter has grown increasingly ecological, and his standards for his own work have risen accordingly. He illustrates the shift: "In the past, I was satisfied just getting the subject in frame. Now I try to include their living environment as well." Backgrounds of rock and sand, for example, can easily become distracting once lit — capturing them without clutter requires refined lighting technique.

In recent years Hsu has become particularly fond of photographing shrimp, crabs, and fish. When dealing with fast-moving creatures, he says: "You can't force it — you have to interact with them. And 'interaction' means not disturbing them, letting them feel no pressure." Non-disturbance is a hallmark of the ocean citizen scientist's professionalism: by observing the creature's behavior during a shoot, stepping back at the right moment, and giving it space, you allow it to let its guard down — and reward the photographer with a great shot.

Beyond special subjects, "environmental change" is another of Hsu's recurring themes. Last year at Chaojing he spotted a sea anemone hosting just one tiny Clownfish (Nemo); this year it had grown to the size of a thumb. The sea anemone itself shifted from a healthy color at the start of the diving season, gradually fading through midsummer, and turning completely white by late season. "Will it come back in winter? Will the Clownfish (Nemo) still have a home next year? These are the things I especially love to observe." Becoming an ocean citizen scientist has made Hsu far more attuned to changes in marine ecology and the environment during every dive.

A Dive Instructor Who Is Also an Ocean Citizen Scientist, Caring for Marine Conservation

Chien Chen-Yu is one of the winners of the Special Marine Behavior Award at the 2022 Image Bay Underwater Photography Competition. His shot features a sponge crab covered in sandy sediment, its large claws tipped in white, and carrying a gorgonian / sea fan on its back.

Award-Winning Work by Ocean Citizen Scientist: Got You — The Culprit Is You!

While conducting a night dive to assist with research and surveys, Chien Chen-Yu unexpectedly discovered a sponge crab's remarkable behavior: using coral as camouflage. The discovery was a revelation: "Only when we understand the behavior of various creatures do we realize how many possibilities exist — and that is exactly what makes investigation and research so important."

A Jack-of-All-Trades Ocean Citizen Scientist Helping to Build the Database

Chien Chen-Yu has been diving and certified as a dive instructor for about three years. He started photographing simply to share what he saw underwater with friends, but as his technical skill and knowledge grew, he wanted to give something back to the environment.

"There's a sense of mission to it. When I come across an unfamiliar creature, I have a strong urge to learn more about it. Because every location has a different ecology and biodiversity, that's precisely why every place needs to be documented and surveyed."

Chien laughs recalling that he used to pass over things he didn't recognize, thinking they weren't worth photographing. A more experienced diver set him straight: "The ones you've never seen before are exactly the ones you should photograph — so you can ask questions, find out what they are, and perhaps discover they're something precious." Chien dives almost every day during the dive season, so his frequency of diving and documenting surpasses that of full-time researchers. This gives him the chance to capture a remarkable variety of marine life, and through exchanges with doctoral researchers and scholars, he helps lay more complete groundwork for fundamental research.

Whether wide-angle, macro, or special marine behavior, every precious photograph has the potential to become a vital reference for fundamental research. We look forward to seeing more underwater photographers lend their lenses to building a true and complete picture of the ecology and environment of the Keelung Wanghaij巷 Chaojing Bay Resource Conservation Area.

Learn about the Ocean Citizen Scientist Program

Further reading:

• 2022 Image Bay Underwater Photography Competition

• National Museum of Marine Science and Technology

• The Image Bay Award Ceremony — Behind the Lens!