Shortlisted - Outdoor Photographer of the Year 2018.

Under Exposed Category.

Nature’s patterns can be so incredibly sublime and never more so than underwater. On an epic scale, the repetition of sequences, colours, shape and form are phenomenal. This pattern is made from hard coral polyps. It’s a mega-city with millions and millions of tiny inhabitants all huddled up together. With a level of organisation that puts our own species to shame, these animals arrange themselves into a system designed to give them the best chance of survival. And this is the result. It’s rather inspirational!

This image was taken at midday, with the sun high and directly overhead, helping to eliminate shadows. The polyps are tightly closed, emphasising the intricate pattern. And the brilliant colour comes from tiny zooxanthellae, a type of algae that lives symbiotically within every polyp. Each benefits from the relationship. The photosynthetic algae has a home of its own, deep within the coral polyp. While the polyp receives nutrient-rich chlorophyll from the algae. A match made in heaven.

Location: Apo Island, Visayas, The Philippines

Photographer: Laura Storm