2025 Beaker Street Science Photography Finalists Announced

A glowing quoll in the Tasmanian wilderness, the first documentation of its kind, leads a striking line-up of finalists announced today for the 2025 Beaker Street Science Photography Prize.

Captured by photographer Ben Alldridge using specialised UV-sensitive techniques, the image reveals the Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) biofluorescing in its natural habitat. While many animals are known to glow under ultraviolet light, this is the first time the phenomenon has been recorded in the wild for this endangered species. The image forms part of ongoing research into the impacts of light pollution on native wildlife.

This remarkable photograph is one of 12 finalist images that will be exhibited at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) from 6 to 31 August as part of Beaker Street Festival. Each image tells a powerful scientific story, spanning microscopic exploration, ecological discovery and rarely seen natural phenomena. Visitors to the free TMAG exhibition will be invited to vote for their favourite image in the People’s Choice category, with winners to be announced at the end of the exhibition.

“This year’s finalists really capture what Beaker Street is all about. Making science visible, beautiful and emotionally resonant,” said Festival Founder and Executive Director Dr Margo Adler. “These photographs let us see the world differently, and in some cases quite literally reveal things we’ve never seen before.”

From dark sky conservation and photosynthesising sea slugs to auroras, slime moulds and high-speed wildlife drama, this year’s finalists offer a visual reminder of the wonder, complexity and fragility of the world around us.

2025 Beaker Street Science Photography Prize Finalists include:

• Ben Alldridge – The Magic Rat and His Slick Machine – The first wild documentation of an Eastern Quoll’s biofluorescence
• Sarah Lloyd – Slime Moulds: Overlooked and Underestimated – Capturing micro-organisms critical to nutrient cycling
• Alison McNeice – PhotosyntheSlug – A sea slug that photosynthesises via kleptoplasty
• David Nolan – Milky Way over Waterworks Reserve – Highlighting the importance of dark sky conservation
• Jordan Cripps – Your Hand in Mine – Aurora Australis over the Tessellated Pavement
• Chelsea Bell – Crystalline Forest – Frost formation on Nothofagus gunnii leaves
• Nicolas Horniblow – Sea Spider – Macrophotography of Tasmania’s Pallenella ambigua
• Kelli Miller – Inner Terrain – Microscopy revealing polymerised protein puddles in blood
• Deon Scanlon – Aerodynamic Attraction – Capturing the wonder of birds in flight
• Rosa Maria Cañedo-Apolaya – Keep Swimming… This is My Spot – Documenting territorial fish behaviour
• Lily Barnett – Lunch Time – A white-bellied sea eagle stealing prey from a fur seal
• Matilda Francis (Under 12) – Liken the Lichen – A young photographer’s close-up of lichen at Mt Field

The Judges’ Choice winner will receive a $200 voucher to spend on food and wine at Frogmore Creek Cellar Door and Restaurant in Richmond, while the People’s Choice winner will enjoy a wilderness cruise for two adults with Pennicott Wilderness Journeys.

The Science Photography Prize is one of many public highlights of Beaker Street Festival, a week-long celebration of science and art held across Tasmania from 12 to 19 August. With more than 70 events, the 2025 program includes headline talks, immersive field trips, after-dark adventures and quirky experiences such as a nightclub for sexual health, slime mould safaris and a live onstage dating show. Beaker Street Festival invites curious minds of all backgrounds to explore the world through science, story and connection.

Beaker Street Festival is presented by Beaker Street, an independent charitable cultural organisation building community through scientific understanding in Lutruwita/Tasmania.

Beaker Street Festival is supported by the following Major Partners: the Tasmanian Government, City of Hobart, the Australian Government as part of National Science Week, and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. The Science Photography Prize is sponsored by the Pennicott Foundation, and supported by Full Gamut and Cam Blake Photography.

About Beaker Street Festival
Beaker Street Festival is a week-long celebration of science and art in Lutruwita/Tasmania each August. Now in its eighth year, Beaker Street Festival promises a mix of wonder, flavour, and scientifically proven fun. The Festival invites adults from all walks of life to delve into today’s hottest topics with a packed program of science-infused experiences, mind-expanding entertainment and intimate eco-adventures, while experiencing the best of Tasmanian environments and culture.

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