Awe-inspiring microscopic world hidden on the surface an autumn leaf wins top prize at the Royal Society Publishing photo competition 2023

These are the awe-inspiring pictures that wowed the Royal Society’s Publishing Photography Competitition’s judged – with the winner going to a close-up photo of slime attached to an autumn leaf in Somerset.

The contest saw scientists going head to head to capture the phenomena present in real life all around us.

The group invited researchers from across the globe to highlight their best work across five fields, representing Astronomy, Behaviour, Earth Science and Climatology, Ecology and Environmental Science, and Microimaging.

Taking home the top prize was Irina Petrova Adamatzky – whose close-up titled ‘Martian landscape’ showed an extraordinary close-up of a ‘slime mould’ clinging onto an autumnal leaf.

The incredible microscopic world shows a captivating contrast between the glittering, iridescent blue of the microorganism compared to the rich hues of the surface.

Taking home the top prize was Irina Petrova Adamatzky – whose close-up titled ‘Martian landscape’ showed an extraordinary close-up of a ‘slime mould’ clinging onto an autumnal leaf

Coming in second for the microimaging category, Shyam Ulhas Rathod’s vibrant picture of the process of crystallisation creates a fiery landscape of bright yellows, oranges and reds

In the behaviour section, an incredible picture of a small fish hitching a ride on a jellyfish by Tom Shlesinger took the top gong

Shedding light on the complex web of life teeming within the hidden ecosystem, the photo highlights the intricate ecological interactions between tiny organisms and our landscape that we take for granted.

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Coming in second for the microimaging category, Shyam Ulhas Rathod’s vibrant picture of the process of crystallisation creates a fiery landscape of bright yellows, oranges and reds.

Dubbed ‘beacon of crystals in a wild forest’, the photo shows an area of less than 1mm on its longest side – and shows the reaction between the two chemical combinations Beta Alanine and L Glutamine.

They hope the picture is not just stunning to look at – but may also hold great potential for research in the field of crystallization to understand why particular chemicals have some distinct patterns and why such shapes evolve.

In the behaviour section, an incredible picture of a small fish hitching a ride on a jellyfish by Tom Shlesinger took the top gong.

Aptly called ‘Nightly elevator’, the amazing photo depicts the sea-living organisms in their vertical migration back down to the ocean depths just before the crack of dawn.

The cunning young fish not only saves energy, but is protected from its predators by its bigger ride’s sting.

Coming in second is Gregory Funston’s ‘Ssstandoff’ – showing two prarie rattlesnakes tussling for dominance in southern Alberta, Canada.

Coming in second is Gregory Funston’s ‘Ssstandoff’ – showing two prarie rattlesnakes tussling for dominance in southern Alberta, Canada

As scientists battled it out over the prize for the best astronomy picture, Imran Sultan came out on top for his incredible image of ‘The Western Veil Nebula’

Another picture by dominant Imran Sultan, the May full moon shines from between the shrouded sky – with the clear image a stunning insight into the circling sphere’s surface

The stunning scene was captured as his team made their way back to camp after excavating a horned dinosaur – where they encountered the huge 1.5metre reptiles.

After an immense battle lasting minutes, the pair slunk off, reminding the photographer of their similarities to their prehistoric cousins – who he had spent his day studying.

As scientists battled it out over the prize for the best astronomy picture, Imran Sultan came out on top for his incredible image of ‘The Western Veil Nebula’.

Depicting the remnants of a star far larger than our own sun that exploded into a supernova 10,000-20,000 years ago, the magnificent picture is more than 2,000 light years away from earth.

Overcoming extreme light pollution with a special lens, his photo was taken over four hours – including a stack of 52 300-second exposures.

Coming in second in the astronomy field is an incredible picture of the Flower Moon, taken through a cloudy night in the Chicago suburbs.

Another picture by dominant Imran Sultan, the May full moon shines from between the shrouded sky – with the clear image a stunning insight into the circling sphere’s surface.

In the earth science category, an incredible picture taken during an undergraduate field course to the Corinth Canal in Greece scooped the top spot.

In the earth science category, an incredible picture taken during an undergraduate field course to the Corinth Canal in Greece scooped the top spot

And in second is Michael Meredith, whose striking photo ‘Burning through the frozen south’ lays bare the devastation of global warming on Antartica

In the final category – ecology – Tom Shlesinger scooped his second top gong with an incredible picture of a starfish swarmed by iridescent blue fish swimming around a coral reef

Following him as the runner up, Filippo Carugati’s incredible picture – dubbed ‘Post-war chamois’ – shows one of the Alps’ incredible goat-like mammals licking a WW2 bunker

Taken by Chia-Hsin Tsai and called ‘A crack in time’ showcases normal faults within extensional tectonics setting through a huge crack in a cliff face – set against the finy figure of a high-viz wearing man at its base.

The canal was being excavated for expansion when this photo was taken, highlighting its normal faults.

And in second is Michael Meredith, whose striking photo ‘Burning through the frozen south’ lays bare the devastation of global warming on Antartica.

With the sunset turning the sea into a glowing red – which the artist says ‘seemed like lava’ – the poignant image reflects fears over the world’s rapid heating and the drastic loss of ice from the southern peninsula.

In the final category – ecology – Tom Shlesinger scooped his second top gong with an incredible picture of a starfish swarmed by iridescent blue fish swimming around a coral reef.

Beautifully named ‘Star of the night’, the brilliant image reveals what happens in the underwater world at night – where animals come out of their dens to forage.

Following him as the runner up, Filippo Carugati’s incredible picture – dubbed ‘Post-war chamois’ – shows one of the Alps’ incredible goat-like mammals licking a WW2 bunker.

The valleys – which have played host to some of Europe’s most historic conquests – include everything from medieval castles to trenches and fortifications from the World Wars.

Thinking the animal’s unusual behaviour was a connected to an assimilation of mineral salts and diet integration during the winter season when food is scarce, they beautifully captured the way in which a violent past is being stunningly reclaimed by nature.

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