Abstract

Who care the oceans? Thousands of scientists have been working on studying and understanding the planet ocean, but there are millions of people who are aware of the importance of the ocean to humankind and have a feeling with aquaticenvironment. Among them there are the underwater photographers, professionals, in limited numbers, and amateurs in huge quantity, but all of them can be considered ambassadors of ocean realm thanks to their shots from all the seas, from coral reefs to polar environments. Their picture can become a valuable help for research, as demonstrate by diving activity related with several citizen science projects which help scientists in collecting data, photographing specimens or what is happening under the surface of the seas. In addition, underwater photography, through its beautiful images, has not only aesthetic purposes, but, as psychological research suggests, it also has positive benefits on human well-being. If watching aquariums is relaxing, there is a great deal of people who can be positively affected by images of tropical fishes, underwater landscape and various type of marine life and biodiversity. After the first attempts to record underwater images using the photographic camera of William Thompson in 1856 and the experiments of Louis Boutan, considered the father of underwater photography, at the end of 19th century, diving and photography evolved together and currently the most of divers have their own underwater camera no matter if sophisticated or not.
Thanks to the passionate work of many underwater photographers a great number of people may know how fantastic the undersea world may be and benefit of the sharing of the beauty beneath the ocean’s surface thanks the new web media and social media contributing to the development of ocean literacy. Photography is one of the most powerful tools in communication to convey a message and a feeling. Take picture and sharing beautiful images can create emotions in people who will never get the opportunity to dive and amaze and inspire them to save our ocean and our well-being at the same time. And while it is true that “people protect what they love” who we love more than ourselves?

Keywords: Citizen science; Environmental communication; Human well-being; Ocean health andliteracy; Underwater photography