The Spanish “Fundación Observatorio Español de Acuicultura” (OESA) delivered on September 25th the awards of the scientific photography contest ACUIFOTO 2013 (http://www.fundacionoesa.es/ciencia-sector/acuifoto-2013) within the framework of the XIV Congreso Nacional de Acuicultura held in Gijon. The aim of the competition is to bring the aquaculture to the society through images related to the science and the interaction of the aquaculture activity with the environment.
There were 127 photos of which 68 competed in the categoria Science and Aquaculture, and 59 in Aquaculture and the Environment. Our colleague Victor Gallego won the first prize in the category Science and Aquaculture, with his photography “The beginning of life”, which displays the time of the blossoming of a embryo of fugu, better known as puffer fish.
The group of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of the Polytechnic University of Valencia is working on optimizing the reproductive efficiency of this threatened species that, in the Asian countries is considered a dish of high quality, according to the author of the photograph. The award is endowed with 500 €.

The jury of this fourth edition was composed of representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, the Biodiversity Foundation, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, the Higher Council for Scientific Research, the National Institute of Agrarian and Food Research and Technology, the Business Association of Producers of Marine Cultures (APROMAR) and the Foundation OESA.
The awards ceremony of the festival ACUIFOTO 2013 took place during the XIV Congress National Aquaculture.