Endangered species among finalists for photography award

By Dean Murray

Shots of blue mushrooms, cute penguins and one of Australia’s most critically endangered species are among the finalists announced for a top science photography award.

A range of pictures have been chosen to compete for the 2026 Beaker Street Science Photography Prize.

The annual competition celebrates photography that reveals the wonder, complexity and fragility of the natural world through the lens of science.

Finalists include the mushroom species mycena interrupta growing on decaying wood, a shot of emperor penguins taken on the first known human visit to the Lazarev colony, and two one-day-old red handfish - of which scientists believe there are fewer than 250 red left in the wild.

The collection is being presented as part of Tasmania's Beaker Street Festival’s 10th anniversary program.

Dr. Margo Adler, festival founder and creative director, said the prize continues to showcase the power of photography to make science accessible, emotional and deeply human.

She said: “These images invite people to stop and look more closely at the world around them.

“They capture everything from microscopic ecosystems and evolutionary adaptation to climate change and conservation, often revealing scientific stories most of us would never see otherwise.

“Photography has this incredible ability to turn complex ideas into something immediate and emotional. A single image can spark curiosity, wonder and conversation in a way few other mediums can.”

The public is invited to vote online for their favourite finalist images, with the most popular photographs progressing to exhibition during Beaker Street Festival.

Winners of the Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice awards will be announced during the festival.