Show Navigation

Search Results

Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
{ 39 images found }

Loading ()...

  • This is a close-up view of leaf coral (Pavona decussata) spawning, with streams of sperm being sent into the water column in synchrony with gametes from other nearby colonies of the hard coral.
    pavona-deccusata-leaf-coral-spawning...tif
  • This is a colony of leaf coral (Pavona decussata) spawning, with streams of sperm being sent into the water column in synchrony with gametes from other nearby colonies of the hard coral.
    pavona-deccusata-leaf-coral-spawning...tif
  • A lush, colourful coral formation with soft and hard coral, sea fans and a school of bright-orange fairy basslets at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea
    coral-formation-jewel-fairy-basslet-...tif
  • I photographed this Pachyseris speciosa coral formation in Disney Lake, a saltwater enclosure in the Rock Islands of Palau. The lake is only accessible via a submerged tunnel. The lake and surrounding area is sheltered from wind and waves, and almost no one enters the enclosed area, so some species of coral that are normally fragile are able to grow to large sizes. This coral formation was so thin at its edge that light can shine through. Lit from behind, the lines comprising the coral growth reminded me of flowing volcanic lava. See separate close-up photograph of coral edge detail.
    pachyseris-speciosa-coral-disney-lak...tif
  • I photographed this Pachyseris speciosa coral formation in Disney Lake, a saltwater enclosure in the Rock Islands of Palau. The lake is only accessible via a submerged tunnel. The lake and surrounding area is sheltered from wind and waves, and almost no one enters the enclosed area, so some species of coral that are normally fragile are able to grow to large sizes. This coral formation was so thin at its edge that light can shine through. Lit from behind, the lines comprising the coral growth reminded me of flowing volcanic lava.
    pachyseris-speciosa-coral-disney-lak...tif
  • Healthy cabbage coral (Turbinaria reniformis) formation surrounded by basslets, damsels and other tropical reef fish. Photographed at about 15 meters depth on a dive site near Normanby Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea that we named Julian's Cabbage Patch because there was so much cabbage coral.
    cabbage-coral-turbinaria-reniformis-...tif
  • Depicted here is spawning of a leaf coral (Pavona decussata) formation. Spawning was synchronized over a large area with many coral colonies.
    pavona-decussata-leaf-coral-spawning...tif
  • Fusilier damselfish (Lepidozygus tapeinosoma) swarming over large staghorn coral (Acropora sp.) formation at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea.
    fusilier-damselfish-Lepidozygus-tape...tif
  • Red-tinted black coral tree (Antipathes sp.) surrounded by a school of orange fairy basslets (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) at the Black and Silver dive site in the Nuakata Island area of Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
    Antipathes-sp-black-coral-Pseudanthi...tif
  • This is a polyp of Alveopora japonica, a small zooxanthellate scleractinian coral that produces large polyps. The orange spheres are planulae, or larval corals. Individual planula migrate from the coral stalk to the mouth, where the planula emerges and swims into the water. The species is found in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Recent research suggests that genetic differences among the three populations are large enough to warrant consideration as separate species.
    alveopora-japonica-coral-planula-jap...tif
  • Staghorn coral formation at Point P dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea, with a large school of bigeye trevallies (Caranx sexfasciatus) swimming overhead
    caranx-sexfasciatus-bigeye-trevally-...tif
  • This is a polyp of Alveopora japonica, a small zooxanthellate scleractinian coral that produces large polyps. The orange spheres are planulae, or larval corals. Individual planula migrate from the coral stalk to the mouth, where the planula emerges and swims into the water. The species is found in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Recent research suggests that genetic differences among the three populations are large enough to warrant consideration as separate species.
    alveopora-japonica-coral-planula-jap...tif
  • This is a colony of Pavona decussata leaf coral, photographed one day prior to spawning.
    pavona-decussata-leaf-coral-japan-20...tif
  • Shallow, protected nooks and crannies among the Rock Islands of Palau are characterized by murky water, but can provide a safe environment for corals to flourish and develop into intricate, unbroken formations like the one pictured here. This coral tree was one of many in very shallow water in front of Ngchuus Beach, Ngeruktabel Island.
    backlit-coral-formation-ngeruktabel-...tif
  • Coral and sponge formation on the outer reef in Ambon, Indonesia
    soft-coral-sea-fan-sponge-ambon-indo...tif
  • Large, unspoiled staghorn coral (Acropora sp.) viewed from the bottom-up, photographed at Craig's Ridge dive site in Moresby Strait, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Acropora-sp-coral-milne-bay-papua-ne...tif
  • Red coral formation at 40 metres depth, with silhouette of lone grey reef shark patrolling in the background
    red-coral-grey-reef-shark-ashmore-re...tif
  • This is a polyp of Alveopora japonica, a small zooxanthellate scleractinian coral that produces large polyps. The orange spheres are planulae, or larval corals. Individual planula migrate from the coral stalk to the mouth, where the planula emerges and swims into the water. The species is found in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Recent research suggests that genetic differences among the three populations are large enough to warrant consideration as separate species.
    alveopora-japonica-coral-planula-jap...tif
  • Diver Terry Ward shining a light on multicolored Lobophyllia brain coral formation at Darwin's Wall that Ron Leidich has dubbed the Four Corners. This unique location is flushed by strong currents exchanged between a large inner lake (Long Lake) and the open ocean, generating ample nutrient flow to support these slow-growing corals, which flourish in large numbers and grow to exceptional size in this area. There is minimal sunlight that penetrates the canopy of overhanging foliage, meaning than the corals rely more on the daily tidal exchange for nutrients than on their zooxanthallae. This wall and the corals that live on them are a perfect illustration of the intricate relationship between the ecosystems of the inner lakes of Palau's Rock Islands and the open ocean.
    diver-with-lobophyllia-coral-darwins...tif
  • Millions of fusilier damselfish (Lepidozygus tapeinosoma) swarming over a pristine coral reef called Carl's Ultimate, located in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea
    pristine-coral-reef-millions-of-fish...tif
  • This is close-up view of polyps of Alveopora japonica, a small zooxanthellate scleractinian coral that produces large polyps. This species is found in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Recent research suggests that genetic differences among the three populations are large enough to warrant consideration as separate species.
    alveopora-japonica-coral-polyps-japa...tif
  • The corals living in the shallow waters around Fantasy Island in the Patch Reefs of Palau were devastated by a massive crown of thorns attack following extensive bleaching damage caused by El Niño in 1998. This photograph was taken in 2011, just 13 years after the corals here were wiped out.
    healthy-coral-recovered-bleaching-cr...tif
  • Cute coral crab (Trapezia sp.) in pretty mint-colored hard coral (Acropora sp.)
    cute-Trapezia_crab-in-coral-ambon-20..tiff
  • Large Platygyra hard coral in shallow blue water in tropical water of Indonesia
    Spherical-Playtgyra-coral-Ambon-2010..tiff
  • Large Platygyra hard coral in shallow blue water in tropical water of Indonesia
    Platygyra-coral-against-blue-water-a..tiff
  • When the tides change and the currents run at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea, fish of all description swarm the reef by the millions. I've seen more fusilier damselfish (Lepidozygus tapeinosoma) like the ones pictured here at this dive site than I have at any other location I've ever dived. It is truly one of the world's greatest spectacles.
    Luzonichthys-waitei-basslets-swarmin...tif
  • This is a colony of Lobophyllia corymbosa hard coral engaged in spawning. Hard corals like this release both eggs and sperm at the same time, as seen here.
    lobophyllia-corymbosa-hard-coral-spa...tif
  • Thousands of Chromis damselfish and Pseudanthias basslets swarming over a healthy Acropora hard coral formation in shallow water at Ashmore Reef in Australian waters.
    Acropora-hard-coral-with-thousands-o...tif
  • The steep, conical shape of this Porites sp. hard coral formation is reminiscent of the rock islands that comprise the land mass of Palau.
    porites-sp-hard-coral-formation-pala...tif
  • A swarm comprising thousands of orange basslets (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) rising up from an enormous hard coral formation at the top of Lynda's Reef near Nuakata Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Pseudanthias-squamipinnis-swarm-lynd...tif
  • The marine lakes of Palau comprise a plethora of hidden environments and fragile ecosystems, often characterized by delicate formations such as this Merulina sp. hard coral, which was thin enough to be translucent. Photographed inside Disney Lake, located in Nikko Bay, Palau.
    translucent-merulina-sp-hard-coral-d...tif
  • The marine lakes of Palau comprise a plethora of hidden environments and fragile ecosystems, often characterized by delicate formations such as this Merulina sp. hard coral, which was thin enough to be translucent. Photographed inside Disney Lake, located in Nikko Bay, Palau.
    translucent-merulina-sp-hard-coral-d...tif
  • Solitary longfin bannerfish swimming along a coral reef. This fish appeared to be patrolling a limited area, with a tendency to return to this one spot. After a while, the fish grew accustomed to my presence and approached closely.
    longfin-bannerfish-pennant-coralfish...tif
  • A gigantic, unbroken sea fan with swarming Anthias at Ashmore Reef in Australian waters in the Coral Sea. The first time we dived this site, I fell in love with the area because there were so many large, unspoiled sea fans like this one, and the reef was teeming with millions of small fish. Captain Craig DeWit of MV Golden Dawn was nice enough to name the dive site Wu Wu Wall for me.
    sea-fan-anthias-basslets-wu-wu-wall-...tif
  • There are still virgin reefs like this that few people have seen, where unspoiled corals carpet the reef system and countless fish gather to feed in the currents. This photograph is from a dive site called Tokyo Express in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea.
    unspoiled-coral-reef-millions-of-fis...tif
  • Beautiful, undamaged sea fans like this are characterstic of healthy tropical reefs. Photograph taken in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea
    sea-fan-and-evening-sun-eastern-fiel...tif
  • When small fish like basslets, damselfish and other reef residents appear in large numbers with the change of tide at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea, predators such as bluefin trevally gather in packs to hunt them. This trevally used me for camouflage to approach the swarms of small fish, then charged straight in front of me in an attempt to grab a meal.
    bluefin-trevally-Caranx-melampygus-h...tif
  • Strong currents around Bangka Island bring nutrients to support sea fans like this. Note the small group of juvenile convict fish at the lower left part of the sea fan. Juvenile convict fish mimic venemous striped catfish (Plotosus lineatus). These fish were mistakenly called convict blennies and convict gobies, but are neither blennies nor gobies.
    red-sea-fan-blue-water-juvenile-conv...tif
  • Two male Zoarchias major eelpouts engaged in competitive fighting, with a female eelpout visible in the background, peeking out from a hole in the hard coral. This competitive fighting behavior is likely related to reproduction, though there does not seem to be a one for one correlation with female acceptance of winning individuals.
    zoarchias-major-male-eelpouts-compet...tif
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Tony Wu Underwater Photography

  • Search Image Archive
    • All Galleries
    • Search
    • Cart
    • Lightbox
    • Client Area
  • View Portfolio
  • Read About Me
  • Send Me a Note
  • Portfolio