Filipa Bessa wins JPI Oceans Photo and Art awards

On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, JPI Oceans launched the Art & Photo Awards to honor the marine environment and the scientists who work tirelessly to ensure the health and productivity of the oceans. At the same time, the aim was 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 to 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 project i-plastic funded by FCT under the 2nd JPI Oceans Joint Transnational Call the theme "Distribution, sources & impact of micro-plastics in the marine environment". The harmonious composition of Filipa Bessa's photograph draws the viewer in for a second look "Looking closer, instead of life you discover that it is garbage, uniting beauty and repulsion."