https://adammaire.com/contact daily 0.75 2023-02-04 https://adammaire.com/home daily 1.0 2023-02-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/3c2c107f-31f9-4457-9865-e787ce34a50f/Antarctica_2021_Over+Under+Ice_Adam+Maire-5.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/d27aad53-f654-4bb2-85d2-e29eede77f70/Antarctica_2021_Emperor+Penguin_Adam+Maire-3.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/09ca9ba0-3131-40d0-bbdd-b6b4c3103d87/Arctic_Polar+Bear_Adam+Maire-4.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/e496ad2f-d2c0-481b-9879-4e9bbc70107e/Moorea_Sharks+and+Rays_2022_Adam+Maire-8.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/6df3dddc-20c6-4ba9-9095-d9ba387e1b5d/Antarctica_2022_Adam+Maire-5.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/08d230e3-0200-4e86-92f1-213ab179b654/Bali_Tulamben_2022_Adam+Maire-2.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/df5e3c78-2b1e-4a2c-b29a-1bd26466ce71/Antarctica_2022_Adam+Maire-6.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/3fc0beda-c8e0-4a26-ad46-5f4df007aef8/PB090985.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/5e0032e9-cf4e-4388-980f-4a3db8b33320/Cats_Africa_Kenya_2020_Adam+Maire-2.jpg Home https://adammaire.com/about daily 0.75 2023-02-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/a4463b9b-0583-4a3a-b3c4-b7e76e5a602b/20220131_111223.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/31784487-8a15-4e60-b185-45e4cf29f178/Adam+Maire_Horse_Nebraska.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/f6c359e6-6312-4e58-bdc0-0e8575c9a938/Kenya_Elephants+Selfie_5x7.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/94434f05-3ce3-4319-90e8-6a165819a730/Adam+Maire-3.jpg https://adammaire.com/portfolio daily 0.75 2024-04-24 https://adammaire.com/portfolio/artificial-reefs-in-tulamben-bali monthly 0.5 2023-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/20450303-f1af-4180-aba1-11132955012f/Bali_Tulamben_2022_Adam+Maire-5.jpg Portfolio - Artificial Reefs in Tulamben Bali Reefs are vital to the marine ecosystem, providing structure, protection, and a substrate for underwater life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/76ccf35d-5942-44c3-8cd6-25947ed64e91/Bali_Tulamben_2022_Adam+Maire-11.jpg Portfolio - Artificial Reefs in Tulamben Bali In Tulamben, the USAT Liberty ship wreck is one of the most popular wreck dives in the world. A 2013 survey by the Coral Reefs Alliance projected over 44,500 tourist and scuba divers to visit Tulamben and the Liberty. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/6026525f-e269-42f2-82e8-cc5f4a0b8756/Bali_Tulamben_2022_Adam+Maire-2.jpg Portfolio - Artificial Reefs in Tulamben Bali The area has 7 other dive sites. All with beautiful and unique underwater attractions. The reefs are the perfect place for a diverse community of new marine life. Sea fans, hard corals and algae give small reef fish ample locations to live and hide. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/c2ac1b3a-5901-41e1-a4ec-feed6d1bc0be/Bali_Tulamben_2022_Adam+Maire-8.jpg Portfolio - Artificial Reefs in Tulamben Bali Some sites are even home to the ever-sought after Pygmy Sea Horse (Hippocampus bargibanti). Hard to find due to its fantastic camouflage and small size- less than an inch tall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/41433fa2-8507-4ff0-b8a6-e1e4f82291d9/Bali_Tulamben_2022_Adam+Maire-1.jpg Portfolio - Artificial Reefs in Tulamben Bali The Tulamben Dive Guide Organization has even been successful in putting in 4 artificial reefs. These stone and concrete formations are made with the hopes that marine life will overtake them and use them for a new home, boosting the marine biodiversity and biomass of the region. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/0949d45e-5a77-44c3-8d92-8b67e6bd4ee2/Bali_Tulamben_2022_Adam+Maire-10.jpg Portfolio - Artificial Reefs in Tulamben Bali These statues create homes for important reef fish like this goby living in the hose of the statues bucket. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/8856b879-3f81-40d3-a295-59355904f73a/Bali_Tulamben_2022_Adam+Maire-4.jpg Portfolio - Artificial Reefs in Tulamben Bali Open sandy bottoms are often devoid of life but if there is a hard substrate nearby, those sandy patches can fill in with life. These anemones are home to pink anemone fish (Amphiprion perideraion). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/fe6d0338-8988-4de5-9429-c24e246bc506/Bali_Tulamben_2022_Adam+Maire-3.jpg Portfolio - Artificial Reefs in Tulamben Bali The hydroids and coral on the new statues are home to countless dascyllus fish, scorpion fish and ghost pipe fish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/ba0d1ced-231b-4ab6-bf02-625327bea6bb/Bali_Tulamben_2022_Adam+Maire-9.jpg Portfolio - Artificial Reefs in Tulamben Bali The artificial reefs create substrate for hydroids to live on and, in turn, the hydroids are perfect camouflage for the well hidden ghost pipe fish (Solenostomus paradoxus). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/3d99fc02-9954-47f5-bca1-ef4772700cd0/Bali_Tulamben_2022_Adam+Maire-7.jpg Portfolio - Artificial Reefs in Tulamben Bali Having been underwater for over 60 years, the Liberty is also home to a pretty impressive artificial reef itself by now. Corals and algae encrust the wreck, giving it new life and purpose. And with 4 new artificial reefs nearby, the wreck gets a little bit of a reprieve from the 150 divers it used to see everyday. https://adammaire.com/portfolio/penguins-and-predators-in-antarctica monthly 0.5 2023-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/be96851f-08ed-4cf4-a6c4-33ef3754612e/Antarctica_2022_Adam+Maire-5.jpg Portfolio - Penguins and Predators in Antarctica Antarctica is characterized by giant landscapes of snow and ice. An environment that seems impossible to live in is actually home to a diverse cast of characters in the short summer months. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/a934481d-ffdf-46c7-ae7a-6e7334474ad5/Antarctica_2022_Adam+Maire-4.jpg Portfolio - Penguins and Predators in Antarctica Penguins, like this Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), fearlessly roam the ice among crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/0d7b2e62-b0e6-403d-ac1d-9d33e179bcc1/Antarctica_2022_Adam+Maire-6.jpg Portfolio - Penguins and Predators in Antarctica On land and ice the penguins are safe. They can easily out maneuver a hungry leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) but in the water the predators have the advantage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/48695ccb-c617-4050-a830-456c294b7b1b/Antarctica_2022_Adam+Maire-2.jpg Portfolio - Penguins and Predators in Antarctica Eventually, the penguins have to leave the safety of land and ice. They enter the ocean to find food to bring back to their waiting chicks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/27c06ae7-c657-4c13-b572-202b46dcf59a/Antarctica_2022_Adam+Maire-3.jpg Portfolio - Penguins and Predators in Antarctica Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) and leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) actively hunt these marine birds once they enter the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/945f4727-9043-443c-8e4c-fd86e47b266e/Antarctica_2022_Adam+Maire-7.jpg Portfolio - Penguins and Predators in Antarctica Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) patrol near the shores of penguin colonies, waiting for young, inexperienced chicks to try their first swim. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/6661d01c-c760-479a-8887-98f7a202de2b/Antarctica_2022_Adam+Maire-8.jpg Portfolio - Penguins and Predators in Antarctica The shore line is the most dangerous place for the young penguins. Shallow water makes it hard to out-run or out-dive the waiting hunters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/6c6c0f3e-d277-4f48-9e29-daa0c9622c5f/Antarctica_2022_Adam+Maire-1.jpg Portfolio - Penguins and Predators in Antarctica Once past the shore line, the penguins have a better chance at evasion, but killer whales (Orcinus orca) are an ever-present threat, even in open water. https://adammaire.com/portfolio/above-and-below-antarctic-ice monthly 0.5 2023-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/e55232e5-00b5-41b4-8caa-327aee6779e1/Antarctica_2021_Over+Under+Ice_Adam+Maire-5.jpg Portfolio - Above and Below Antarctic Ice The Antarctic ice sheet expands and contracts each year as sea ice freezes in the winter and melts away in the austral summer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/f3fa9cf6-8945-4d62-8c03-a945d597a83c/Antarctica_2021_Over+Under+Ice_Adam+Maire-4.jpg Portfolio - Above and Below Antarctic Ice Great chunks of ice calve off the hundreds of glaciers that flow from land into the Southern Ocean. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/bf462262-ca51-4aa1-b3a6-0808a331e363/Antarctica_2021_Over+Under+Ice_Adam+Maire-1.jpg Portfolio - Above and Below Antarctic Ice The icebergs swirl around the continent in a clockwise rotation until they drift into warmer waters or are grounded and slowly break apart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/b37d1231-8e85-4d38-a8ca-74e930d713d3/Antarctica_2021_Over+Under+Ice_Adam+Maire-2.jpg Portfolio - Above and Below Antarctic Ice These icebergs scour the sea flow in the shallows and wipe away anything that has managed to take hold over the last summer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/70f57c9e-cf59-46a2-a8fc-fab0ceeafe9c/Antarctica_2021_Over+Under+Ice_Adam+Maire-7.jpg Portfolio - Above and Below Antarctic Ice For each amazing ice sculpture that is seen, it seems an even larger one waits just behind it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/d669a246-3f54-466a-bcab-fa6a83961e3f/Antarctica_2021_Over+Under+Ice_Adam+Maire-8.jpg Portfolio - Above and Below Antarctic Ice The wind, waves, and even escaping gas all play their part to sculpt these natural works of art. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/1b692c7e-7278-4a72-a6d3-8d03e5f80fb8/Antarctica_2021_Over+Under+Ice_Adam+Maire-6.jpg Portfolio - Above and Below Antarctic Ice Each iceberg that passes by represents the future of this white continent, protected by its castles of ice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/a428e21f-4c86-40e3-aafc-73c060e48fb2/Antarctica_2021_Over+Under+Ice_Adam+Maire-3.jpg Portfolio - Above and Below Antarctic Ice The tips of the icebergs that are visible represent only a small fraction of the ice they contain, keeping up to 90% of the iceberg a secret from those that look from above. https://adammaire.com/portfolio/polar-bears-and-arctic-ice monthly 0.5 2023-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/851ef6db-20fd-4973-99fa-1ff756735fb7/Arctic_Polar+Bear_Adam+Maire-1.jpg Portfolio - Polar Bears and Arctic Ice The sea ice is home to the polar bear. It stretches to the horizon until it bleeds into the Fata Morgana that the Arctic is known for. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/352ca431-f4b1-4730-997d-200c47b358de/Arctic_Polar+Bear_Adam+Maire-4.jpg Portfolio - Polar Bears and Arctic Ice The ice bear uses scent to find prey but also to find, or avoid, other bears. This young female rolls in her own urine to lock in her scent which may help other bears know to keep their distance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/06f05115-b861-4f85-9f0f-c15b8fdc150b/Arctic_Polar+Bear_Adam+Maire-3.jpg Portfolio - Polar Bears and Arctic Ice Polar bears have the most powerful sense of smell in the animal kingdom. They use this super power to find prey such as seals from miles away, sometimes buried below 3 feet of snow, across the expansive sea ice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/4241ca13-c860-48a0-928c-f7e8ea737905/Arctic_Polar+Bear_Adam+Maire-2.jpg Portfolio - Polar Bears and Arctic Ice A polar bear can smell prey like these bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) from over 20 miles away. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/33c039bf-50c1-4119-a787-d649edcbb100/Arctic_Polar+Bear_Adam+Maire-10.jpg Portfolio - Polar Bears and Arctic Ice As polar bears are forced off sea ice and onto land, they lose their advantages such as camouflage and surprise. This hungry male has little chance of running down a free swimming beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) rather than ambushing it at a breathing hole. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/f9b7b535-54be-4a6f-98b9-026d35736a1b/Arctic_Polar+Bear_Adam+Maire-5.jpg Portfolio - Polar Bears and Arctic Ice Mother polar bears face challenging dicisions when they have to move to a different ice flow across open ocean- swim and risk their cub freezing or stay on a flow with limited food options. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/c5c6fde1-a91f-4514-871a-fb51e143a938/Arctic_Polar+Bear_Adam+Maire-6.jpg Portfolio - Polar Bears and Arctic Ice Polar bear cubs are not born as adapted to Arctic waters as their mothers. They don't have the necessary fat layers to stay warm when wet and their fur isn't as thick as their mothers. They prefer to jump between ice flows rather than swim, keeping their less protective fur dry and retaining more body heat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/94db791a-c99e-4d23-8cd1-7099521cc7f2/Arctic_Polar+Bear_Adam+Maire-8.jpg Portfolio - Polar Bears and Arctic Ice Cubs use the time on large flows to practice the skills they will need when their mother leaves them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/22c1a65f-baee-4763-81a7-c338b2469c74/Arctic_Polar+Bear_Adam+Maire-9.jpg Portfolio - Polar Bears and Arctic Ice This play behavior helps cubs learn to hold onto prey. They learn how to stalk breathing holes and ambush seals on the ice flows by watching their mothers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/035f0a49-2581-4c61-9bef-9d69a098a196/Arctic_Polar+Bear_Adam+Maire-7.jpg Portfolio - Polar Bears and Arctic Ice As this cub grows up, the expanses of open ocean between flows will widen, forcing the cub to either adapt or face starvation. https://adammaire.com/portfolio/mooreas-sharks-and-rays monthly 0.5 2023-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/7fd0f5c5-3023-4b91-8d1e-738819263ec4/Moorea_Sharks+and+Rays_2022_Adam+Maire-3.jpg Portfolio - Mo'orea's Sharks and Rays Blacktip Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) are a common sight in shallow waters in the Pacific and Indian oceans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/b2a36518-aa05-4b12-98aa-075c07075790/Moorea_Sharks+and+Rays_2022_Adam+Maire-6.jpg Portfolio - Mo'orea's Sharks and Rays Blacktip Reef sharks are on the smaller side when it comes to sharks, maxing out at under 6 feet. They tend to be timid and cautious around people. This makes them a perfect species to snorkel with to face fears of sharks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/915517aa-2d18-4b09-b06b-9b5923e03ffb/Moorea_Sharks+and+Rays_2022_Adam+Maire-7.jpg Portfolio - Mo'orea's Sharks and Rays These sharks share their underwater homes with the Tahitian Stingray (Himantura fai), which spends most of its life on sandy sea floors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/986901ce-2fc9-4e5f-a770-9e1771c40f39/Moorea_Sharks+and+Rays_2022_Adam+Maire-8.jpg Portfolio - Mo'orea's Sharks and Rays The Tahitian Stingray (Himantura fai) is wary of humans but seems to be a little more curious than other marine life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/2811c839-9c8c-4298-a255-95b25f55bdfb/Moorea_Sharks+and+Rays_2022_Adam+Maire-5.jpg Portfolio - Mo'orea's Sharks and Rays Sadly, Blacktip Reef Sharks are being overfished in much of their range and the International Union for the Concervation of Nature has listed them as Vulnerable. About 11,400 sharks a minute are caught and killed, that is over 100 million sharks a year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/23303b6f-f9b9-4882-8acb-5ec410212bd5/Moorea_Sharks+and+Rays_2022_Adam+Maire-4.jpg Portfolio - Mo'orea's Sharks and Rays Both the sharks and the rays should be seen as a necessary part of a healthy ocean. They should be enjoyed. A chance to swim in the ocean open with these amazing creatures reaches a wider population that can learn to respect them and not fear them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/0db77547-13ac-4905-99d5-7d38eb29a01b/Moorea_Sharks+and+Rays_2022_Adam+Maire-1.jpg Portfolio - Mo'orea's Sharks and Rays Blacktip Reef Sharks represent a healthy underwater ecosystem and should be respected, not hated and feared. Without these mid-level predators, the health of the corals reefs would quickly decline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/dc9e4a37-d85f-4e10-89fa-3c50dfbc1df6/Moorea_Sharks+and+Rays_2022_Adam+Maire-2.jpg Portfolio - Mo'orea's Sharks and Rays Blacktip Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) patrol shallow coastal waters looking for small boney fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans to eat. They keep the population of these prey species in check and eliminate the sick and weak, ensuring a healthier future population. https://adammaire.com/portfolio/kenyas-big-cats monthly 0.5 2023-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/35f3e5a7-c4f5-4c8c-be33-1551b5e7acff/Cats_Africa_Kenya_2020_Adam+Maire-4.jpg Portfolio - Kenya's Big Cats The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) fills the niche of the pursuit predator, reaching speeds of 80 m.p.h. in short bursts to catch their prey. Most cheetahs take on a diurnal lifestyle wherever they are found in order to avoid the larger predators which are often nocturnal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/28f90ff6-9260-428e-b502-96c304926d91/Cats_Africa_Kenya_2020_Adam+Maire-8.jpg Portfolio - Kenya's Big Cats With a high metabolism, cheetahs need to eat everyday. Even when they manage to take down an antelope, they have to be cautious as they consume it, always alert for lions that may steal their hard earned meal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/3aea4e8b-396e-4367-9a4d-810f61d157ee/Cats_Africa_Kenya_2020_Adam+Maire-3.jpg Portfolio - Kenya's Big Cats The lion (Panthera leo) is the apex predator in it's environment. It is also a keystone species, meaning, in proportion to it's population size, it has a larger impact on its ecosystem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/17ad3860-79c0-4f92-a613-e80ecec16a7b/Cats_Africa_Kenya_2020_Adam+Maire-1.jpg Portfolio - Kenya's Big Cats The presence of a predator often has the effect of creating a terrain of terror for it's prey. This means the prey species begin to adapt to their environment in a way that gives them the most security. This may mean avoiding certain areas or limiting foraging times to when predators are less active. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/fa4de6a1-c42f-4f63-b1a2-9f0f0f4d600e/Cats_Africa_Kenya_2020_Adam+Maire-2.jpg Portfolio - Kenya's Big Cats Lions (Panthera leo) are the only species of cat that live in groups throughout their life. A pride may have a few males with several related lionesses. The males are often battle scarred from defending their territory and pride. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/02ee7ba2-eb84-4afe-a8c1-9d01090c4da7/Cats_Africa_Kenya_2020_Adam+Maire-5.jpg Portfolio - Kenya's Big Cats The African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) traditionally could be found throughout Africa in all types of ecosystems, including semi-arid desert and tropical rain forrest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/ccb547e7-566a-4010-8ab5-6daf98e3a353/Cats_Africa_Kenya_2020_Adam+Maire-7.jpg Portfolio - Kenya's Big Cats Adapting to climb trees to avoid larger cats, leopards descend to hunt at sunrise or sunset and drag their meals into the trees to protect them from being stolen by lions or hyenas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/04539dab-d9a8-44c2-a5d8-3625d2db3ee4/Cats_Africa_Kenya_2020_Adam+Maire-6.jpg Portfolio - Kenya's Big Cats This big male has a belly full of last nights kill. https://adammaire.com/portfolio/emperor-penguins-in-antarctica monthly 0.5 2023-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/a71df6b8-d58e-449a-a7f8-f546c6bb9a8a/Antarctica_2021_Emperor+Penguin_Adam+Maire-1.jpg Portfolio - Emperor Penguins in Antarctica The largest of the penguin species, the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) may also have the toughest life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/db398143-09dd-4b2f-b63b-829759086fa2/Antarctica_2021_Emperor+Penguin_Adam+Maire-2.jpg Portfolio - Emperor Penguins in Antarctica Spending the winter in one of the harshest environments on the planet, they survive only by working together. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/487c3d87-36af-4610-9178-f68f85970acb/Antarctica_2021_Emperor+Penguin_Adam+Maire-3.jpg Portfolio - Emperor Penguins in Antarctica The elegant colors on the bill and around the head make for a beautiful contrast to the constant white of the landscape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/50df1d8e-fe19-43bf-a7c2-e0d75f72d784/Antarctica_2021_Emperor+Penguin_Adam+Maire-4.jpg Portfolio - Emperor Penguins in Antarctica While out at sea they often hunt alone, on the ice in the winter they stick close together. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/155ebeb1-be1d-40d6-a744-55d61ca45a99/Antarctica_2021_Emperor+Penguin_Adam+Maire-5.jpg Portfolio - Emperor Penguins in Antarctica When walking becomes tiresome, they lay on their bellies and slide along, "tobogganing" through the snow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/4fac0fac-abfc-4125-88e7-5aca37cc81c1/Antarctica_2021_Emperor+Penguin_Adam+Maire-7.jpg Portfolio - Emperor Penguins in Antarctica Adults can be over 4 feet tall, making them the largest penguin on Earth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/725a41fe-61a8-471e-9c68-d8fec53ec4e5/Antarctica_2021_Emperor+Penguin_Adam+Maire-6.jpg Portfolio - Emperor Penguins in Antarctica Weather they are surviving the freezing winds and snow of the dark Antarctic night or diving through fridged oceans chasing fish and avoiding hungry killer whales, these penguins live an extreme life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/c89f90ee-0c85-4ed9-8be9-c462934c39df/Antarctica_2021_Emperor+Penguin_Adam+Maire-8.jpg Portfolio - Emperor Penguins in Antarctica Enduring extreme cold, standing 4 feet tall, and displaying beautiful colors, its easy to see why these are known as the "Emperors." https://adammaire.com/portfolio/patagonia-underwater monthly 0.5 2023-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/bdc19171-d6bb-4d66-bcfb-65ab3d7f7ed9/PB090985.jpg Portfolio - Patagonia Underwater The Common Fjord Sea Star (Cosmasterias lurida) can be found throughout Patagonia in both the Atlantic and Pacific and play a key role in the kelp ecosystems. This one is in the middle of a meal on some unsuspecting mollusk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/af9c1bf5-f041-4dc2-b5db-8b241fcf48db/PB091093.jpg Portfolio - Patagonia Underwater The Common Fjord Sea Star (Cosmasterias lurida) is one of the most abundant predators on the benthic communities in Patagonia, feeding on a variety of bivalves like these. These stars are a major factor in population control of their prey, regulating the balance of the forests. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/4fa1cc43-36e2-457f-b6d9-cebbd5df3660/PB091019.jpg Portfolio - Patagonia Underwater The Southern King Crab- Centolla- (Lithodes santolla) spends its juvenile years in the shallow kelp forests in the Patagonian fjords. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/08cebe52-96fb-4eca-82d8-cdcd286744ea/PB091097.jpg Portfolio - Patagonia Underwater As a juvenile, Centolla (Lithodes santolla) clings to kelp fronds and feeds on algae while using the kelp forest to hide from possible predators until they are large enough to move to deeper water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/c0e1ad4e-95e0-4a09-bea7-d4b6fba042de/PB090991.jpg Portfolio - Patagonia Underwater Just like the King Crabs in the Northern hemisphere, the Centolla (Lithodes santolla) is a sought-after delicacy for the local sea food restaurants and support a major fishery in South America. Their population depends on healthy kelp forests. https://adammaire.com/portfolio/macro-underwater monthly 0.5 2023-02-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/83f4c7cc-186a-4282-bdc0-2c429fd5cc5c/Macro+Underwater_Adam+Maire-1.jpg Portfolio - Macro Underwater The Gold Lace nudibranch (Halgerda terramtuentis) is a small sea slug found throughout the Hawaiian Islands. It diurnal nature makes it easier to spot and photograph on dives. It loves rocky areas and if you look closely at the orange sponges that line cave walls and ceilings, you have a good chance of seeing it having its favorite meal. - Big Island, Hawaii https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/cec4b57a-b851-49b2-a634-6a028ab9ac08/Macro+Underwater_Adam+Maire-2.jpg Portfolio - Macro Underwater Ceratosoma trilobatum is a type of dorid nudibranch. Nudibranch means naked lungs and it refers to the gills of these slugs being on the outside of the body. You can see this nudi’s gills in the middle of it’s body. -Tulamben, Bali https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/7bb570fb-82fd-41d9-b24c-a8d93d76d01d/Macro+Underwater_Adam+Maire-3.jpg Portfolio - Macro Underwater The piece of flesh above the gills is a horn. This is thought to be an anti-predator adaptation. All the foul-tasting chemicals that the sea slug ingests from eating sponges are stored in that horn. When threatened by a predator, the horn wiggles and attracts the bite of the hungry fish, who gets a nasty tasting surprise. -Tulamben, Bali https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/1a482196-216e-410c-b583-5011fa4d0371/Macro+Underwater_Adam+Maire-4.jpg Portfolio - Macro Underwater Hypselodris tryoni is a medium sized dorid nudibranch that is found throughout the South and Central Pacific. They feed mostly on sponges. The cool thing about Hypselodris tryoni is that they are known to exhibit trailing behavior. One slug will follow closely behind another- head to butt just like these two, sometime with as many as four slugs in a row. -Tulamben, Bali https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63cc624c764ff913734c6262/4f0c5695-c36c-4450-8b8d-979161d148b7/Macro+Underwater_Adam+Maire-1-2.jpg Portfolio - Macro Underwater Nudibranchs are similar to the snails you may find on land. They are a shell-less, marine gastropod. There are many different species throughout the world. Ones like this dorid are thought to feed on purple sponges that commonly grow on mussel shells. -Karukinka, Patagonia