'This black-faced blenny (also known as a yellow triple fin) was under Swanage pier, Dorset, in June 2009. Although only about three inches long, he was quite easy to spot, but it took me a while to spot the very well camouflaged female that he was trying to impress'
Photograph: Arthur Kingdon/The Wildlife Trusts
'I took this shot at Stackpole quay in Pembrokeshire in May 2009. At the time there seemed to be a real congregation of spider crabs just off the shore, which is something I have seen there on a number of occasions. This one was just wandering about on the sand in about 10m depth. The males are the ones to photograph as they are bigger and have larger, more impressive claws, although they can be quite aggressive at this time of year!'
Photograph: Trevor Rees/The Wildlife Trusts
The British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSoUP) is an annual print competition that involves The Wildlife Trusts, who judge the British and Irish categories of the competition. Photographers are urged to capture the essence of ‘living seas’ – the colourful, diverse and often surprising wildlife and habitats found around UK coasts
Photograph: Robert Bailey/The Wildlife Trusts
Lisa Chilton, Living Seas manager for The Wildlife Trusts, and a judge of the competition, said: 'This competition is one of the most important events in the calendar for the UK’s marine wildlife. Each year we are truly astounded by the remarkable entries, and overjoyed at the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the weird and wonderful goings-on beneath the ocean waves'
Photograph: Dave Peake/The Wildlife Trusts
This image was taken in St Abbs marine reserve, at the dive site of Claffert's Buss
Photograph: Jim Greenfield/oceaneyephoto.com/The Wildlife Trusts
'I was exploring the rock pools in St Abbs, Scotland last August, and was on the south side of the harbour with my children. I had taken my housed Canon 30D SLR and 100mm macro lens "just in case". First one shanny then several others came out to explore our feet in one pool, and gradually became more nosy and confident. Eventually I was able to stick my head under and take some shots in less than two feet of water'
Photograph: Helen Wehner/The Wildlife Trusts
'It was taken in the Fal Estuary in Cornwall. The spider crab was posed quite nicely on the tubeworms, and I was pleased to get a couple of shots before the tubeworms retracted'
Photograph: Cathy Lewis/cathylewisphotography.com/The Wildlife Trusts
Photograph: Martin Davies/In Depth Photography/The Wildlife Trusts
