The renowned science magazine Nature has chosen a photograph by Alexis Rosenfeld to feature in its annual selection of "The best science images".
This photo was taken during a UNESCO & Fondation 1 OCEAN mission to French Polynesia. During this mission, the Fondation 1 OCEAN team helped to highlight one of the world's most extensive deep reefs, off the Tahiti peninsula.
"Beyond its simple aesthetic aspect, it's more the scope of this photograph that gives it its full scope," explains the photographer. "This is a deep reef, with a maximum depth of 35 meters. At this depth, the corals seem to be protected from the climatic disturbances that decimate reefs around the world every year. The importance of this photograph lies essentially in the question it raises: could it be that the salvation of certain species lies beyond human reach, in the depths of the ocean?
This mission was carried out in partnership with the Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement (CNRS-CRIOBE), and more specifically with scientist Laëtitia Hédouin, a coral specialist and research officer at CNRS-CRIOBE.
Founded in 1869, Nature is one of the world's oldest and most respected scientific journals. Every year, it publishes a selection of the best scientific images.
