Teledyne Marine has announced the winners of its 2025 Photo & Data Contest, recognizing the technical excellence and creativity of customers utilizing the company’s instruments globally.
The contest winners demonstrate the operational reality and scientific innovation present in marine fieldwork, capturing striking projects in various applications such as river dynamics, infrastructure management, and sustainable aquaculture. A key feature of the submissions is the capture of data that informs the management of rivers, ports, coastlines, and offshore science.
The Voter’s Choice Award went to Jonathan Valenzuela, whose submission captured fieldwork on the Ucayali River in the Peruvian Amazon. Valenzuela is using a RiverPro 600 kHz ADCP to gather hydrological data, which is essential for understanding the influence of climate-driven changes on sediment dynamics, floodplain agriculture, and fisheries. The image shows an approaching storm, underscoring the dynamic nature of operations in fast-changing riverine environments.
Gabriel Walton of Ultrabeam Hydrographic received the Best Data Award for a dataset from Peterhead Port in Scotland. Using a RESON SeaBat T51-R multibeam echo sounder, the team captured ultra-high-resolution hydrographic data to monitor for potential movement within the port’s critical breakwater structure, providing insight for long-term infrastructure and port operations management.
The Aversity Award, which recognizes work in extreme conditions, was won by Liga Cerusa for an image of a multibeam survey conducted in harsh winter conditions at the Roja port entry.
The team used a RESON SeaBat T20-ASV to support dredging operations despite freezing temperatures and rough seas, highlighting the precision and resilience required for winter hydrographic work.
Jessica Leonard from Rutgers University received the Moment of Zen Award for a photograph showing a G3s Slocum Glider being carried to sea for its first deployment.
The mission was to survey The Climate Foundation’s seaweed farm off Compostela, Cebu, Philippines, with the image captured at low tide in the morning light. The work supports pioneering research in ecosystem health and sustainable marine permaculture.
The Underwater Award was given to Jakub Tkaczyk of Enamor Ltd for an image of a Gavia AUV just below the surface before deployment.
The photograph, taken during a 2014 mission, represents the essential roles autonomous underwater vehicles play in seafloor mapping, scientific discovery, and defense operations.
An Honourable Mention was also awarded for an entry titled “You can’t park there,” submitted by Hayes Ballantyne of Discovery Marine Ltd. The image captured the unexpected discovery of an excavator resting on the seabed off the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. The machine, believed to have fallen from a barge a decade earlier, was uncovered during a routine charting survey using a RESON SeaBat T50-R, which highlights the dramatic and surprising insights modern underwater mapping technologies can reveal.
William Egan, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing, Teledyne Marine, commented, “Every year we think the bar can’t be raised any higher, and every year our users prove us wrong. The diversity, technical quality, and storytelling behind this year’s submissions were outstanding. It’s inspiring to see how Teledyne instruments are supporting such a wide range of impactful projects and the people behind them.”
