Beneath the Surface 09

Beneath the Surface 09Unique reef systems captured from an aerial perspective The "Beneath the Surface" project documents the very diverse but mostly unknown beauty of tropical coral reef systems. Those systems can usually be found right beneath the water surface or even above it when the tides are low. Unfortunately most of these fragile systems are in real danger due to rising water temperatures caused by global warming. Coral bleaching kills most of the ecosystems and

large areas of the landscape are used in the mining of bauxite

It is widely considered to be one of the most challenging waves in the world

which represents 85 percent of all reefs in the United States

unique formations

and the nature of the water flow

Abstract aerial views on  abandoned salt mining ponds

largely due to the force of gravity

The waves at Pipeline are notorious for their size and power

because bauxite enables efficient production of the metal

and striking blue hues they look especially stunning from an aerial perspective

Underwater sand ripples - captured from an aerial perspective

also known simply as Pipeline