Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025, SIRARU8

1st place Conservation (Hope) Photographer of the Year

Sirachai Arunrugstichai Thailand

7°53'19.9"N 98°21'57.1"E

"An aquarist holds a glass jar with an early-stage embryo of an Indo-Pacific Leopard shark (Stegostoma tigrinum), its egg case removed for a rearing experiment at Aquaria Phuket, one of Thailand’s largest private aquariums," says Arunrugstichai. "Since 2023, the aquarium’s staff-driven breeding program has produced over 40 pups of this Endangered species, listed on the IUCN Red List. Aquaria Phuket now works with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, ReShark, WildAid, Ocean Blue Tree, and private partners on the StAR (Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery) Project Thailand, reintroducing these sharks to the wild, beginning August 2025."

BEHIND THE LENS

Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025, SIRARU8

Sirachai Arunrugstichai Thailand

ABOUT THE IMAGE

Afternoon
Shot inside an aquarium
F/5.6, 1/200 sec, ISO 100

Sirachai “Shin” Arunrugstichai is a Thai photojournalist and marine biologist focused on marine conservation and humanity’s complex relationship with the ocean. An Associate Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers, a National Geographic Explorer and a Vital Impacts' Sylvia Earle Grant recipient, Shin’s work spans from environmental crises to social issues. His images have appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, often through his role with Getty Images. When not in the field, Shin contributes to shark and ray research in Southeast Asia as a co-founder of Thai Sharks and Rays, a collaborative marine science initiative.