Keith Ellenbogen, assistant professor of Photography, has cumulatively spent more than 500 hours capturing images of local marine life above and below the surface. Ellenbogen is an acclaimed underwater photographer who works in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium, and now a new exhibition of his work, Underwater Wildlife New York, is on view at Brooklyn Bridge Park through June 14.
The exhibition showcases the region’s most fascinating marine species through rarely seen underwater views of an astonishing variety of local marine species from Montauk, NY, to Cape May, NJ, and highlights the efforts of scientists to study and raise awareness of the conservation needs of local marine wildlife and their habitats.
The outdoor photographic display spanning 350 feet features nearly 50 images and takes viewers on a visual journey to reveal the extraordinary life hidden beneath the waves. The show relates stories about some of these species, ranging from tiny corals and elusive seahorses to behemoth ocean sunfish that ply the waters above the astounding Hudson Canyon. Blue and mako sharks, both featured in the exhibit, are also the subjects of marine research by New York Aquarium scientists.
“I have photographed marine life around the globe, but the underwater world off New York and New Jersey is one of the most extraordinary and challenging places I’ve worked,” Ellenbogen said.