Alex Mustard / School of Oriental sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus) gather tightly together as they rest during the day, with a Clown triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum) and Midnight snappers (Macolor macularis...

Tui De Roy / Strawberry land hermit crab (Coenobita perlatus). On white coral sand beach, Small unhinhabited coral islet in Raa Atoll lagoon, Maldives

Alex Mustard / Reef manta (Mobula alfredi) visiting a cleaning station on a coral reef with a school of Onespot snappers (Lutjanus monostigma), Oriental sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus) and Sabre squirrelfish (Sa...

Alex Mustard / RF - Portrait of Coral hermit crab (Paguritta harmsi) living in a hard coral colony. North Male Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)

Alex Mustard / RF - A school of Crescent-tail bigeye (Priacanthus hamrur) on a coral reef. North Male Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)

Alex Mustard / Tawny nurse sharks (Nebris ferrungineus) at night. Vavuu Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean

Alex Mustard / Midnight snapper (Macolor macularis) shelters in a cavern on a coral reef with white soft corals (Scleronephthya sp.) and solderfish. Vavuu Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean

Alex Mustard / School of White collar butterflyfish (Chaetodon collare) pack together above a coral reef. North Male Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean

Alex Mustard / Bengal snapper (Lutjanus bengalensis), Bannerfish (Heniochus diphreutes) and Fusiliers (Caesio sp.) diving towards coral reef to avoid predators. North Ari Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Oriental sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus) pair. South Ari Atoll, Madlives. Indian Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus) group, individuals circling each other at dusk. Vavuu Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean.

Alex Mustard / RF - Bannerfish (Heniochus diphreutes) schooling in coral reef. Long exposure. North Male Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)

Jordi Chias / Spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) school, Kagi kandhu, ;North Male Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Jordi Chias / Blue spotted trevally (Caranx bucculentus) hunting small fish in the reef, South Ari Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Jordi Chias / Round ribbontail ray (Taeniura meyeni) South Ari Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean.

Jordi Chias / Oriental sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus) South Ari Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Jordi Chias / Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) feeding on coral, South Ari Atoll, Maldives Islands, Indian ocean.

Alex Mustard / Wave breaking over the rubble zone close to the reef crest of a coral reef. Baa Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Maldive anemonefish (Amphiprion nigripes) shoal swimming in the current flowing over a Magnificent sea anemone (Heteractis magnifica). Baa Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Maldivian anemonefish (Amphiprion nigripes) shelters against a closed magnificent sea anemone (Heteractis magnifica). Male Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean.

Pascal Kobeh / Giant clam (Tridacna) on 'Lotus' artificial reef, built in 2001 with a steel frame using mild electric currents to encourage coral growth, with diver in the background. Vabbinfaru Island in North Male...

Pascal Kobeh / 'Lotus', an artificial reef built in 2001 with a steel frame with a mild electrical current which encourages the growth of coral, Ihuru Island, North Male Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean. Small reprodu...

Michael Pitts / Tracking shot over bleached Table coral (Acropora), Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Michael Pitts / Giant manta ray (Manta birostris) swimming over a cleaning station, Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Michael Pitts / Fan coral (Gorgonacea), Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Michael Pitts / Tracking shot over the bow of a sunken shipwreck, Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Michael Pitts / Maldives clownfish (Amphiprion nigripes) chasing juveniles, with anemones (Actiniaria) in the background, Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Michael Pitts / Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) swimming over a reef, Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Michael Pitts / Schooling bannerfish (Heniochus diphreutes), Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Michael Pitts / Anemones (Actiniaria) with Maldives anemonefish (Amphiprion nigripes) and Surgeonfish (Acanthurus) moving in a strong current, Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Michael Pitts / Maldives anemonefish (Amphiprion nigripes) and Surgeonfish (Acanthurus) swimming in a strong current, with moving anemones (Actiniaria), Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Michael Pitts / Maldives anemonefish (Amphiprion nigripes) and Surgeonfish (Acanthurus) swimming in a strong current, with moving anemones (Actiniaria), Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Michael Pitts / Devil rays (Mobula japonica) viewed from below, South Ari atoll, Maldives.

Alex Mustard / Pink eye goby (Bryaninops natans) hovers over a coral. This fish seems to have its ovipositor extended and may have been laying eggs. Laamu Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean

Alex Mustard / RF - Portrait of Maldives anemonefish (Amphiprion nigripes) with its host magnificent sea anemone (Heteractis magnifica) on a coral reef. Laamu Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean (This image may be license...

Alex Mustard / Seagrass meadow (Halodule pinifilia). Seagrass is threatened in the Maldives, where many resorts actively pluck the plants from the water to create a sandy seabed, but generating major problems of ero...

Alex Mustard / Seagrass meadow (Cymodocea rotundat). Seagrass is threatened in the Maldives, where many resorts actively pluck the plants from the water to create a sandy seabed, but generating major problems of ero...

Alex Mustard / Seagrass meadow (Thalassodendron cilliatum) with young Paddletail snappers (Lutjanus gibbus). Seagrass is threatened in the Maldives, where many resorts actively pluck the plants from the water to cre...

Alex Mustard / Marine biologist holding a seagrass flower. Seagrass is one of the few flowering plants found in the ocean and only produces flowers periodically. Laamu Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Giant guitarfish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis) rests on the seabed. Laamu Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean

Alex Mustard / Detail of the yellow and blue stripes of an adult Emperor angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator) on a coral reef. Laamu Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean

Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus) in the evening at Alimatha Jetty,. where sharks are often attracted by fish scraps discarded by the island resort, Felidhu Atoll, Republic of Maldives, January...

Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Bottlenose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae) gliding along the reef slope in the late evening, North Male Atoll, Republic of Maldives

Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Laced moray eels (Gymnothorax favagineus) inhabit the same crevice in the reefs, North Male Atoll, Republic of Maldives.

Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Bottlenose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae) glides along the reef edge in the late evening, while a SCUBA diver observing it from distance, North Male Atoll, Maldives. Critically endangered species...

Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Bottlenose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae) glides along the reef edge in the late evening, while a SCUBA diver observing it from distance, North Male Atoll, Maldives. Critically endangered species...

Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Bottlenose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae) on sandy bottom in the late evening, foraging for food near a fish factory, Male Atoll, Republic of Maldives. Critically endangered species.

Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Blotched fantail / Marble ray (Taeniurops meyeni) on the seafloor in the late evening, foraging for food near a fish factory, Male Atoll, Republic of Maldives.