Shooting star by Tony Wu, US/Japan. Winner, underwater. The electrifying reproductive dance of a giant sea star. As the surrounding water filled with sperm and eggs from spawning sea stars, Wu faced several challenges. Stuck in a small, enclosed bay with only a macro lens for photographing small subjects, he backed up to squeeze the undulating sea star into his field of view. The dancing posture of spawning sea stars rising and swaying may help release eggs and sperm, or may help sweep the eggs and sperm into the currents where they fertilise together in the water. Kinko Bay, Japan. (Photo by Tony Wu/Wildlife Photographer of the Year)

A fisherman waits to catch fish as he sits atop a stilt in the sea in Koggala, Sri Lanka on July 4, 2019. (Photo by Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters)

A man takes a picture of sea spray as storms hit Cape Town, South Africa, June 7, 2017. (Photo by Mike Hutchings/Reuters)

A couple watch the sunrise in front of the Mediterranean Sea in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, January 24, 2021. (Photo by Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo)

A huge colony of Pacific Walrus on Arakamchechen Island in the Northern Bering Sea. (Photo by Francois Gohier/Ardea/Caters News)

A man surfs during a local competition in the Mediterranean Sea, near Ashdod, Israel November 17, 2016. (Photo by Amir Cohen/Reuters)

A fishing boat (L) heads out to sea at dawn in Lhokseumawe, Aceh on August 9, 2021. (Photo by Azwar Ipank/AFP Photo)

An athlete dressed as a clown jumps into the Mediterranean sea as he takes part in the Copa Nadal in the Spanish port of Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, December 25, 2016. The Copa Nadal (Christmas Cup) is a traditional swimming competition that takes place in Barcelona every December 25th, where participants swim 200 meters in the open sea in the port of Barcelona. (Photo by Manu Fernandez/AP Photo)