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Photo Ark Hits 18,000 Species: A Walking Fish Milestone
11 Aug
Summary
- The Photo Ark project reached 18,000 species with the critically endangered red handfish.
- Photographer Joel Sartore began his mission 20 years ago after a personal health crisis.
- The project aims to document species and raise awareness about conservation efforts.
For two decades, photographer Joel Sartore has meticulously documented Earth's animal kingdom through his Photo Ark project. This ambitious endeavor has now captured its 18,000th species, the critically endangered red handfish, a small marine creature notable for its unique fin-based locomotion. Sartore's journey began on August 9, 2006, with a naked mole-rat, a project initiated following a life-altering period when his wife battled cancer.
This personal experience instilled in Sartore a profound appreciation for life's fragility, driving him to create individual animal portraits. These striking images, typically set against plain backgrounds, emphasize the subject's form and distinctiveness. The Photo Ark's collection has expanded significantly over 20 years, encompassing thousands of species across various classes, including fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals.
The project's impact extends beyond documentation; it actively supports conservation. Grants are provided to initiatives working to protect threatened habitats and species, such as the restoration of Florida's Pine Rocklands and the amphibian conservation efforts in Ecuador. Sartore, now 64, plans to continue his work, with his son poised to carry on the legacy, aiming to photograph all 25,000 species in human care.
