EXPOSE: Tripods in the Mud_Keith Ellenbogen

On assignment with Conservation International, underwater photographer and iLCP emerging league photographer, Keith Ellenbogen, joined a team of eight internationally renowned marine scientists on an expedition along the remote northeast coast of Madagascar on a Rapid Assessment Program (RAP).

"For twenty-one days, with rough seas, we lived and worked on-board a small boat in the Indian ocean. Exploring undocumented areas of the northeast coast, each morning we descended into the turbid waters to conduct biodiversity surveys of the marine habitat that included documenting individual species of corals, echinoderms, seagrasses and fish. Working collaboratively with scientists I integrated a visual component to the research and data collection to create a comprehensive portrait and visual narrative of the marine environment including environmental issues and threats with a goal of conservation. I used images and stories to showcase the beauty and diversity of the marine habitat as well as environmental pressures such as climate change, coral bleaching and overfishing that impact both Madagascar and global marine environments. One of the goals of my imagery is to complement the scientific research with visually compelling imagery that can lead to awareness and conservation about the marine ecosystem. "