Teledyne Marine is delighted to announce the winners of its 2025 Photo & Data Contest, celebrating the creativity and technical excellence of customers using Teledyne instruments. Storms, gliders, lost excavators, and even a seaweed farm at sunrise —the winning entries showcase striking marine projects from around the world, highlighting the diverse environments and applications where Teledyne technology is at work capturing the data that shapes rivers, ports, coastlines, and offshore science.
After reviewing all qualifying entries, Teledyne Marine is pleased to reveal the winners across five categories, along with an honourable mention. The winning entries reflect both the operational reality of marine field work and scientific innovation.
Voter’s Choice Award
This year’s Voter’s Choice winner captures fieldwork on the Ucayali River in the Peruvian Amazon, where research company Jonathan Valenzuela is using a Teledyne RiverPro 600 kHz ADCP to collect hydrological data. Their work helps advance understanding of climate-driven changes in river discharge and their influence on sediment dynamics, fisheries, and floodplain agriculture.
The approaching storm in the background underscores the unpredictability of scientific operations in fast-changing riverine environments.
Best Data Award
Captured by Gabriel Walton (Ultrabeam Hydrographic), this winning dataset shows Peterhead Port, an important maritime structured in Scotland, UK, and showcases the power of ultra-high-resolution asset survey data.
Using a Teledyne RESON SeaBat T51-R multibeam echo sounder, the team captured high-density hydrographic data to monitor potential movement within the port’s breakwater structure, which is critical insight for long-term infrastructure management and the port’s operations.
Aversity Award
This year’s Aversity Award, recognising work undertaken in extreme conditions, goes to Liga Cerusa for her image of a multibeam survey conducted during harsh winter conditions at the Roja port entry.
Relying on a Teledyne RESON SeaBat T20-ASV, the team supported dredging operations despite rough seas and freezing temperatures. The image captures the resilience and precision required for winter hydrographic survey work.
Moment of Zen Award
Submitted by Jessica Leonard (Rutgers University), this serene photograph features a Teledyne G3s Slocum Glider being carried to sea for its first deployment surveying The Climate Foundation’s seaweed farm off Compostela, Cebu, Philippines.
Captured at low tide in the soft morning light, the image highlights a moment of calm during a mission supporting pioneering research in sustainable marine permaculture and ecosystem health.
Underwater Award
Captured by Jakub Tkaczyk (Enamor Ltd), this underwater image shows a Teledyne Gavia AUV just below the surface before deployment.
Taken during a 2014 mission, the photograph remains a timeless representation of autonomous underwater vehicles and their essential roles in seafloor mapping, defence operations, and scientific discovery.
Honourable Mention
The Honourable Mention is an extra prize we occasionally award for truly extraordinary entries, celebrating the unique story behind an image.
Titled “You can’t park there”, this image shows the unexpected discovery of an excavator resting on the seabed, just off the coast of the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand.
Believed to have fallen from a barge a decade ago, the machine was uncovered during a routine charting survey using a Teledyne RESON SeaBat T50-R.
The image underscores the surprising—and sometimes dramatic—insights revealed through modern underwater mapping technologies.
“Every year we think the bar can’t be raised any higher, and every year our users prove us wrong,” said William Egan, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing, Teledyne Marine. “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.”
2025 Photo & Data Contest Winners and Prizes
- Voter’s Choice Award – Jonathan Valenzuela: HERO13 Black Creator Edition
- Best Data Award – Gabriel Walton, Ultrabeam Hydrographic: KODAK PIXPRO WPZ2 Rugged Waterproof Digital Camera
- Aversity Award – Ligas Cerusa, LVR Flote: KODAK PIXPRO WPZ2 Rugged Waterproof Digital Camera
- Moment of Zen Award – Jessica Leonard, Rutgers University: KODAK PIXPRO WPZ2 Rugged Waterproof Digital Camera
- Underwater Award – Jakub Tkaczyk, Enamore Ltd: KODAK PIXPRO WPZ2 Rugged Waterproof Digital Camera
- Honourable Mention – Hayes Ballantyne, Discovery Marine Ltd: KODAK PIXPRO WPZ2 Rugged Waterproof Digital Camera
Teledyne Marine congratulates all winners and extends sincere thanks to every participant. This year’s submissions highlight not only the versatility of Teledyne’s technologies, but also the ingenuity and dedication of the global marine community.
To see all contest entries, visit: https://woobox.com/qc6q6i
