Rhode Island Sea Grant, the Coastal Institute, and the University of Rhode Island host an annual research & scholarship photo contest that is open to all university faculty, staff, and students.

The contest provides a unique opportunity for our researchers and scholars to convey their ideas and work, as well as their unique perspectives, through the images they capture.

Working Hard–Hardly Working| 1st Place

Renato Borras-Chavez, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Natural Resources Science, College of the Environment and Life Sciences

Renato Borras-Chavez was part of a team conducting fieldwork in Parry Fjord, an isolated part of Patagonia, Chile, to study the ecology of leopard seals and their genetic connection to Antarctic populations. The fieldwork was supported by a National Science Foundation grant, led by Sarah Kienle, assistant professor of natural resources science.

The image captures a critical moment from the expedition. After hours of patrolling the freezing waters looking for animals, the team came across a female leopard seal resting on an iceberg. 

“We were focused, pressured—piloting a drone, collecting data, and preparing to take a sample—but she was undisturbed, basking in the icy stillness. The contrast was clear: We were working hard, while she was hardly working,” says Borras-Chavez.

The judges praised the composition, texture, and balance; One said, “Such an incredible capture and backstory. I love a good drone photo, and this one is beautiful. The perfect composition between the boat and the seal, and the chunks of ice really set the scene.”

The book takes us back to the beginning for Skomal, when watching Jaws set him on his life’s course. We learn about his development as a shark researcher, his reverence for his mentors and colleagues, and how, despite years on the ocean tagging over 300 sharks, he never loses his sense of awe at these encounters. Skomal, the shark-scientist-next-door, writes,

“I’d rather be the kind of guy you just want to grab a beer with.” And while you’re at it, he might tell you about how he survived a near drowning when a white shark entangled in the buoys supporting his diving cage, or tracked sharks with an underwater SharkCam, or took blood samples from a 2,000-pound, live shark writhing on the platform of a ship.

Misty-Eyed Long-Tailed Macaque|
3rd Place

Paige Hojdar ’27, Departments of Marine Biology and Marine Affairs, College of the Environment and Life Sciences