21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
All tied up at the moment

A scorpionfish hooked on fishing line that is wrapped around a coral head poses for a photo. This image was captured on Stetson Bank in the Gulf of Mexico which lies within the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Although this lies within the boundaries of a Marine Sanctuary, fishing line and other types of fishing gear are a harmful source of pollution in an otherwise remote and pristine environment.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2023
Date Uploaded: 10.2023
Photo Location: roughly 70 miles due south of Galveston TX, Texas, United States of America
Camera: ILCE-7M4
Copyright: © Scott Bauer