MARE Competition 2023

We present the winning images of the fourth edition of MARE competition. Between 15 May and 15 September 2023, digital photographs related to the Balearic Sea were submitted in four participant profiles: Expert Adults, Amateur Adults, Young Adults and Youths.
Atrapado
Xavier Mas Ferrà
First prize · MARE Animalia
Mar de Posidonia
Sebastián Antonio Bota Ferragut
First prize · MARE Botanica
Interacciones peligrosas
Néstor Carda Aroca
First prize · MARE Denuntiare
La màgia de La Foradada
Paco Fernández Masero
First prize · MARE Nostrum
Camino a la libertad
Bartolomé Santandreu Borrás
First prize · MARE Sapiens
Esta puesta de huevos de Calamar diamante, confirma su presencia y reproducción en el Mediterráneo.
Pedro Riera Llompart
Accesit · MARE Animalia
Batophora occidentalis
Xavier Mas Ferrà
Accesit · MARE Botanica
Posidonia en lata
Pedro Riera Llompart
Accesit · MARE Denuntiare
Mediterranean sunset
Julio Martínez
Accesit · MARE Nostrum
La chica que le susurraba al oceano
Dan Florit Ametller
Accesit · MARE Sapiens
Creciendo poco a poco.
Vicente Planells Ramon
Accesit · MARE Animalia
Arrecife Mediterráneo
Nuria Bufort Costa
Accesit · MARE Botanica
Más madera I
Biel Servera
Accesit · MARE Denuntiare
Las auténticas playas vírgenes
Bartolomé Santandreu Borrás
Accesit · MARE Nostrum
La bona gent s'entén parlant II
Silvia Mus
Accesit · MARE Sapiens

Summary

In MARE 2024 COMPETITION, 1,200 photographs were submitted, in the Balearic and Mediterranean Sea. The jury selected 20 winning photographs according to criteria of photographic quality, originality, faithful representation of reality and the ability to connect with the general public.
· Three participation profiles: YOUTH, AMATEUR, and EXPERTS.
· Six categories: 1. MARE Animalia; 2. MARE Botanica; 3. MARE Sapiens; 4. MARE Denuntiare; 5. MARE Nostrum and 6.MARE POPULARIS (new People’s choice award).
· Two Honourable Mentions: 1. Honourable Mention for Marine Protected Areas; 2. Honourable Mention for Elasmobranchs (sharks and rays).
20 prizes distributed for a total of €10,000 – cash prizes for Adult participants and underwater equipment for Young participants

MARE 25 AWARDS CEREMONY

Irene Sala presented the 30 awards of MARE 2023. The ceremony was broadcast in November 2023 from the new Maritime Station -Ibiza Botafoc.
There were more than 1,200 entries among 140 participants from 23 different nationalities.

Jury

Carlos Minguell

Carlos Minguell is a professional photographer specialized in Underwater Nature. He has photographed in many of the best diving destinations in the world and his images and graphic reports have been published in more than 50 international magazines. He has won more than 100 awards in underwater photography, including 3 World Championships, 1 World Cup and 11 Spanish Championships. He teaches courses, workshops and lectures on photosub regularly, is technical director of the Open Fotosub of El Hierro since 1998 and owner of the company dedicated to underwater photography Ocean Photos, S.L.U. (ocean-photos.es).

Nuria Marbà

Nuria Marbà is a CSIC Research Professor at the Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (UIB-CSIC) where she researches several aspects of marine vegetation ecology, including its functions, especially those related to climate change (CO₂ capture and coastal protection), as well as its resilience and recovery capacity in the face of pressures. Its research contributes to providing a scientific basis for defining marine ecosystem conservation policies. It conducts research in the Mediterranean Sea, other temperate regions in both hemispheres, the tropics and the Arctic.

Jean Marie del Moral

Jean Marie del Moral (1952) has portrayed the most important artists of the second half of the 20th century (from Joan Miró to Ai Weiwei) with an interest in portraiture and studios as “mental space”. “I portray artist’s studios as if they were landscapes and landscapes as if they were an artist’s studio”. His work has been published in leading international magazines and publishers. Museums and Art Foundations have exhibited his photographs, which form part of public and private collections. He lives in Mallorca.