Filipa Bessa wins JPI Oceans Photo and Art awards prize

On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, JPI Oceans launched an award—the Art & Photo Awards—with the aim of honoring the marine environment and the scientists who work tirelessly to ensure the health and productivity of the oceans. At the same time, it sought to promote the role of photography and the visual arts in addressing the challenge of communicating about the largest ecosystem on Earth, recognizing that these arts are fundamental in bringing society emotionally closer to the marine environment.

In the "JPI Oceans Projects" category, the jury was particularly impressed by the proposal "New Shades of Blue" by Portuguese biologist Filipa Bessa, a researcher at MARE (UCoimbra) and part of the i-plastic project funded by FCT under the 2nd Joint Call of JPI Oceans on the theme "Distribution, sources & impact of micro-plastics in the marine environment."  The harmonious composition of Filipa Bessa's photograph draws the observer to take a second look. "Looking closer, instead of life, you discover that it is trash, combining beauty and repulsion."