Hilda Canter-Lund 2025

This award was established by the British Phycological Society in recognition of Hilda Canter-Lund, whose stunning photographs will be known to many members. Her photomicrographs of freshwater algae combined high technical and aesthetic qualities whilst still capturing the quintessence of the organisms she was studying.

Congratulations to all that made the shortlist, the competition was strong this year, and the BPS thanks everyone who submitted images and voted for their favorites.

2025 Winners

Macro category – Milan Beck: “Freezing Fucus”

Milan is a PhD student at the University of Bremen in Germany, currently studying the effects of long-term temperature stress on intertidal Macroalgae in the high Arctic on Svalbard. As part of a bigger project he spent almost a full year at the research station in Ny Alesund witnessing the impressive change of the landscape from the midnight sunlit tundra in summer to polar night and aurora borealis shining on the snow covered mountains in winter. Four years ago Milan was already able to visit Longyearbyen for the first time. He spent 6 months to work and study there for his masters thesis at the northern most university (UNIS), ultimately sparking his passion for polar regions and research.

During the field phase of my PhD I have stayed in Ny Alesund (Svalbard) for almost a year now and have seen Fucus distichus – the object of my study – in many different shapes and forms. By far the most impressive and beautiful was this year in April when a mixture of extremely cold temperatures, retreating tides and splashing waves encased the algae in shimmering droplets of water creating a surreal and dreamy scenery. Frozen in time and space, this picture showcases the impressive physiological plasticity and resilience of Arctic intertidal Macroalgae and how they are able to survive the most extreme conditions.

Micro category – Katia Jones: “Cystocarp Fra Nui“

My name is Katia Jones, and I’m a student in the Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences at the National University of Patagonia San Juan Bosco (UNPSJB – Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina). I’ve always been fascinated by the sea and its endless beauty in all its forms. I’m currently working on my undergraduate thesis on the genus Rhodymenia (an alga as beautiful as it is interesting!) at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET – CENPAT). My interest in algae began when I discovered their incredible diversity of shapes and colors. Photography allows me to capture this richness through both a scientific and artistic lens.

This cystocarp presents itself to the lens in the form of a marine Fra-Nui desert: like the “fruit” of the algae, where the carpospores hide like tiny seeds of life.
In the picture, we see a cross-section of a mature cystocarp of Hymenena sp., taken with a Leica DM2500 microscope using a digital camera and Leica imaging software. The sample was collected in the intertidal zone of Magagna Beach (Chubut, Argentina) in January 2025. This is part of my undergraduate thesis, and when I made the cut, I immediately though a raspberry dipped in chocolate. A sweet coincidence between biology and craving, I invite you to taste science whit the same pleasure trough this picture.