© Alexander Semenov

As head of the scientific diver’s team at the White Sea Biological Station in northwestern Russia, marine biologist Alexander Semenov has been studying—and photographing—the life cycle of Cyanea capillata, aka the lion’s mane jellyfish. The creatures only live for about six months, usually from May to September, but grow to a diameter of two to three meters with tentacles as long as 36 meters. “I’m trying to study marine life through the lenses, and from year-to-year I get more and more knowledge about the underwater world of cold waters of the north,” Semenov says.

© Barry Steven Greff. Split from the series: FLOW (isolated portraits of Jellyfish)

Oceanic creatures face an increasing struggle to survive as man impacts on their ecological environment. Ironically, in the aquarium these sea creatures are more protected and safe than in their natural world. Barry Steven Greff has created a series of fine art images of jellyfish at Aquariums throughout the U.S. See more of these as well as his close-up, intimate portraits of animals and ethereal sea and landscapes here. Images from the series have appeared in Silvershotz Fine Art Journal (Brisbane/London) and Color Magazine. They have traveled for exhibition to Atlanta and Ft. Lauderdale and will be on view in the Art of Photography 2 exhibit at Camera Obscura Gallery opening tonight, December 10, 2010.