MH
22,11,07, 19:49
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613704.jpg
A collection of spectacular underwater pictures - such as this shot of a whale shark - has been compiled by Britain's Shark and Marine Conservation Group Bite-Back for its 2008 calendar.
Jeff Rotman, who took the snap for January, said: "When I return to photograph places visited years before, I see with sorrow that they are slowly fading before my eyes."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613706.jpg
This blue-spotted grouper was taken by Tim Laman, who said: "On a recent assignment in Indonesia, we saw very few sharks. The Shark-finners had beaten us there."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613707.jpg
The calendar, for the group's Bite Back campaign, shows how such wonderful creatures and their environments are at risk.
Alex Mustard, who photographed this lionfish, said: "Twenty per cent of the world's reefs have been destroyed in the last 100 years, and mostly in the last 30 years. A further 50% is facing collapse.
"We must do our utmost to conserve this remarkable ecosystem."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613708.jpg
Brian Skerry, who pictured these dolphins, said: "Around 90% of the big fish are gone.
"Magnificent marlin, swordfish and bluefin tuna have vanished. Where is the outrage?"
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613709.jpg
David Fleetham's reef shark is the image for May. He said: "The depletion of fish stocks continues at an astonishing rate.
"As one species drops below what is commercially viable, another species is targeted to make up for it."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613710.jpg
This potato bass was taken by Kitty Jempson, who said: "There is such beauty beneath the waves, but this fragile world must not be taken for granted.
"Some species could be fished to extinction in our lifetime."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613719.jpg
David Doubilet, who took this shot of a sea lion, said: "A combination of human-related threats to our oceans in the form of relentless over fishing and global warming place immeasurable pressures on our seas that will inevitably lead to vast swathes of empty ocean."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613785.jpg
World champion freediver Tanya Streeter is photographed with a grey reef shark by James Honeyborne.
Tanya said: "Terrestrial conservation has come a long way in a matter of decades. Those of us who care for the oceans must work to inspire the same level of compassion for the marine environment."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613786.jpg
Great white shark, by Chris Fallows, provides a graphic illustration of exactly what the campaign is trying to protect.
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613787.jpg
Campaign director Graham Buckingham believes that over-fishing is the single biggest threat to marine life.
He says species such as sharks, swordfish and marlin are at the forefront of "a marine holocaust."
This octopus was taken by Norbert Wu.
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613788.jpg
Mr Buckingham added: "The photographers have been diving solidly for 40 years or more and have recorded their own plight of the oceans in this calendar.
"Combined, it's an urgent call for help."
This turtle was photographed by Doug Perrine
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613797.jpg
The final picture is this reefscape by Michael Aw.
Just 3,000 copies of the calendar have been printed with all proceeds going to Bite-Back
Click here for more details (http://www.bite-back.com/)
http://news.sky.com/skynews/picture_gallery/picture_gallery/0,,30400-1293685-1,00.html
A collection of spectacular underwater pictures - such as this shot of a whale shark - has been compiled by Britain's Shark and Marine Conservation Group Bite-Back for its 2008 calendar.
Jeff Rotman, who took the snap for January, said: "When I return to photograph places visited years before, I see with sorrow that they are slowly fading before my eyes."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613706.jpg
This blue-spotted grouper was taken by Tim Laman, who said: "On a recent assignment in Indonesia, we saw very few sharks. The Shark-finners had beaten us there."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613707.jpg
The calendar, for the group's Bite Back campaign, shows how such wonderful creatures and their environments are at risk.
Alex Mustard, who photographed this lionfish, said: "Twenty per cent of the world's reefs have been destroyed in the last 100 years, and mostly in the last 30 years. A further 50% is facing collapse.
"We must do our utmost to conserve this remarkable ecosystem."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613708.jpg
Brian Skerry, who pictured these dolphins, said: "Around 90% of the big fish are gone.
"Magnificent marlin, swordfish and bluefin tuna have vanished. Where is the outrage?"
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613709.jpg
David Fleetham's reef shark is the image for May. He said: "The depletion of fish stocks continues at an astonishing rate.
"As one species drops below what is commercially viable, another species is targeted to make up for it."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613710.jpg
This potato bass was taken by Kitty Jempson, who said: "There is such beauty beneath the waves, but this fragile world must not be taken for granted.
"Some species could be fished to extinction in our lifetime."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613719.jpg
David Doubilet, who took this shot of a sea lion, said: "A combination of human-related threats to our oceans in the form of relentless over fishing and global warming place immeasurable pressures on our seas that will inevitably lead to vast swathes of empty ocean."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613785.jpg
World champion freediver Tanya Streeter is photographed with a grey reef shark by James Honeyborne.
Tanya said: "Terrestrial conservation has come a long way in a matter of decades. Those of us who care for the oceans must work to inspire the same level of compassion for the marine environment."
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613786.jpg
Great white shark, by Chris Fallows, provides a graphic illustration of exactly what the campaign is trying to protect.
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613787.jpg
Campaign director Graham Buckingham believes that over-fishing is the single biggest threat to marine life.
He says species such as sharks, swordfish and marlin are at the forefront of "a marine holocaust."
This octopus was taken by Norbert Wu.
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613788.jpg
Mr Buckingham added: "The photographers have been diving solidly for 40 years or more and have recorded their own plight of the oceans in this calendar.
"Combined, it's an urgent call for help."
This turtle was photographed by Doug Perrine
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1613797.jpg
The final picture is this reefscape by Michael Aw.
Just 3,000 copies of the calendar have been printed with all proceeds going to Bite-Back
Click here for more details (http://www.bite-back.com/)
http://news.sky.com/skynews/picture_gallery/picture_gallery/0,,30400-1293685-1,00.html