The Forest-Like Inside of Coral Takes the Grand Prize within the CUPOTY 7 Picture Contest — Colossal

Close-up Photographer of the Year has introduced the winners of its seventh version, with Western Australia-based Ross Gudgeon’s picture of the frilly inner construction of a cauliflower mushy coral taking the highest spot. The inhabitants of the otherworldly pink marine creatures present in reefs off the coast of New South Wales has seen a staggering decrease prior to now few years—90% between 2011 and 2021 alone. Peering up from the bottom, he portrays the fragile stalks as in the event that they’re towering timber.

Additional class winners embody close-ups of a variety of each marine and terrestrial wildlife, from bugs and arachnids to mammals and amphibians. Colossal readers may also acknowledge the work of Barry Webb, who captures extremely detailed portraits of minuscule slime molds. See all the winners’ gallery on the CUPOTY website, and discover extra superb photographs from previous editions.