Michael D. Kern / Kaleidoscope pattern formed from picture of Greenbottle blue tarantula (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) - see original image number 01482830 EMBARGOED FOR NAT GEO UNTIL the end of 2015

Michael D. Kern / Kaleidoscope pattern formed from picture of Johnstons Chameleon (Chamaeleo johnstoni) face and legs. Restricted for Editorial use until December 2015

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of yellow mineral sediments flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, near Stokkseyri, Southern Iceland, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of the Austurfljot glacial river, southern Iceland, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of the Austurfljot glacial river, southern Iceland, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of the Hafursa glacial river running over black sand, southern Iceland, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of steam geysers at Gunnhuver Hot Springs, Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of Gunnuhver steam geyser, Gunnhuver Hot Springs, Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of Thjorsa glacial river, southern Iceland, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of Thjorsa glacial river, southern Iceland, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of Kudafljot glacial river flowing over black volcanic soil, Iceland, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of Kudafljot glacial river flowing over black volcanic soil, Iceland, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of a confluence of three tributaries flowing over black sand at the mouth of the Affall River, Landeyjar area, Southern Iceland, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of the Gemasolar Thermosolar Plant owned by Torresol Energy, it uses molten salt as its heat transfer fluid and energy storage medium to produce energy for up to 24 hours a day, Seville,...

Milan Radisics / Tracking aerial shot of the source of the Rio Tinto river, the river is coloured by minerals leeching from the surrounding terrain, Andalusia, Spain, January 2019.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of an open cast mine, Minas de Riotinto, Andalusia, Spain, January 2019.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of an open cast mine, Minas de Riotinto, Andalusia, Spain, January 2019.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of an open mine pit and process plant in a copper mining and hydrometallurgical process plant complex, near Gerena, Seville, Spain, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of an open mine pit and process plant in a copper mining and hydrometallurgical process plant complex, near Gerena, Seville, Spain, August 2018.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of an artificial lake polluted by extractive pyrite mining, the orange color comes from sulfite and the blue is a reflection of the sky, Minas de Riotinto, Andalusia, Spain, January 2019.

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of the shore of an artificial lake polluted by extractive pyrite mining, the orange color comes from sulfite and the blue is a reflection of the sky, Minas de Riotinto, Andalusia, Spain, J...

Milan Radisics / Aerial shot of mining waste and other toxic by-products collected in dry stacks and a big pond, in a large copper mining and hydrometallurgical process plant complex near Gerena, Seville, Spain, Augu...

Marie Read / Abstract patterns of reflected sky and clouds on the ocean with a silhouetted Red-faced cormorant (Phalarocorax urile) in flight, St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska, USA, July.

Guy Edwardes / Beech (Fagus sylvatica) woodland canopy in winter, Cranborne Chase, Dorset, England, UK.

Guy Edwardes / Beech (Fagus sylvatica) woodland canopy in winter, Cranborne Chase, Dorset, England, UK.

Guy Edwardes / Natural Rock Pattern, Northumberland Coast, England

Guy Edwardes / Water flowing over weathered rock with natural patterns, Northumberland Coast, England, UK.

Guy Edwardes / Close up of a sunflower (Helianthus annuus) head, Provence, France.

Juergen Freund / Timelapse of Fireflies (Lampyridae) flying around a tree, Bicol, Philippines.

Juergen Freund / Timelapse of Fireflies (Lampyridae) flying around a tree, Bicol, Philippines.

Guy Edwardes / Abstract view of woodland canopy, Cranborne Chase, Ashmore, Dorset, England, UK. March 2016.

Bernard Castelein / Sunrise over Groot Schietveld, Wuustwezel, Belgium. June 2015.

Pal Hermansen / Aerial shot of patterns in a frozen lake, Lake Langen, Akershus, Norway, December 2017.

Pal Hermansen / Aerial shot of field with tractor tracks, Ski, Akershus, Norway, November 2017.

Pal Hermansen / Aerial shot of an ice skating arena, Lake Langen, Akershus, Norway, December 2017.

Pal Hermansen / Aerial shot of lake covered by the first snow, Bindingsvann, Akershus, November Norway, November 2017.

Theo Bosboom / Floating sweet-grass (Glyceria fluitans) in lake, Bjornlandet National Park, North Sweden. Finalist in the Plants and Fungi category of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards (WPOY) Competition...

Theo Bosboom / Underwater view of bubbles in the mountain stream. La Hoegne, Belgian Ardennes/High Fenn near Hockai, Belgium

Theo Bosboom / Autum leaves and grass in the current of mountain stream La Hoegne, Belgium.

Theo Bosboom / Underwater view of bubbles in water and trees on land, La Hoegne mountain stream, Belgium.

Theo Bosboom / Maple leaf in autumn, viewed from underwater with bubbles and foam of mountain stream, La Hoegne, Ardennes, Belgium.

Theo Bosboom / Autumn foliage including Beech and Oak leaves and Rowan berries floating in the current of a mountain stream, La Hoegne, Ardennes, Belgium.

Theo Bosboom / Underwater view of autumn leaves in stream current, La Hoegne, Ardennes, Belgium.

Theo Bosboom / Underwater view of bubbles and Beech (Fagus sylvatica) leaves Hoegne, Belgium.

Theo Bosboom / Autumn leaves stuck behind branches in the water, Leuvenumse beek, the Netherlands.

Theo Bosboom / Autumn leaves from Beech trees, Oak trees and Birch trees floating under water in the current of a mountain stream, La Hoegne, Ardennes, Belgium.

Theo Bosboom / Underwater view of autumn leaves stuck behind a fallen tree, Leuvenumse beek, the Netherlands.

Theo Bosboom / Autumn leaves seen underwater, Ardennes, La Hoegne, Belgium.

Theo Bosboom / Autumn leaves from Beech, Oak and Birch trees floating on water, taken from underwater, Ardennes, La Hoegne, Belgium.

Theo Bosboom / Oak and Beech tree leaves in autumn colours floating on water of mountain stream, La Hoegne / High Fenn, Ardennes, Belgium

Theo Bosboom / A pile of autumn Beech leaves caught behind a rock in a mountain stream La Helle, Ardennes, Belgium.

Theo Bosboom / Yellow coloured Birch leaf (Betula) floating on the bubbles and foam of a stream, De Veluwe (Leuvenumse bos), Netherlands.

Theo Bosboom / One of the many small waterfalls of a mountain stream La Hoegne, Belgium.

Theo Bosboom / Split level view of autumn leaves underwater and tree reflections on the water surface, Levenumse beek, the Netherlands, November.

Theo Bosboom / Autumn leaves in a mountain stream (La Hoegne) in the Belgian Ardennes, Belgium.

Ingo Arndt / Shell detail of Hermanns tortoise {Testudo hermanni} France Endangered

SINCLAIR STAMMERS / Timelapse of filaments of Oscillatoria, a type of Blue green algae gliding over each other, filmed using differential interference contrast.

Ingo Arndt / Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) close- up of eye half open, the golden webbed semi-transparent eyelid allows to see its surrounding even while resting, Costa Rica.

Ingo Arndt / Burned trees in front of Grand Prismatic Spring, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, September 2011.

Ingo Arndt / Grand Prismatic Spring, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, September 2011.

Ingo Arndt / Aerial view of Hardy Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia, December 2010.

Ingo Arndt / Aerial view of Hardy Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia, December 2010.

Ingo Arndt / Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) web with dew drops, at sunrise, Germany, August.

Ingo Arndt / Harvest Mouse (Micromys minutus) using tail whilst climbing in reed, Germany, captive.

Ingo Arndt / Harvest Mouse (Micromys minutus) using tail whilst climbing in reed, Germany, captive.

Ingo Arndt / Fan Coral (Echinogorgia sp) from Indo-Pacific, in collection at Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt, Germany.

Ingo Arndt / Green tree ant (Oecophylla smaragdina) group on entrance from nest, built from woven leaves, Northern Territory, Kakadu National Park, Australia.

Edwin Giesbers / Banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) males resting on grass, Netherlands, August.

Alex Mustard / Yellow tube sponge (Aplysina fistularis) on a coral reef, with the camera rotated during the long exposure. East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. British West Indies. Caribbean Sea.

Floris van Breugel / Bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata) abstract view of exposed and weathered wood layers, White Mountains, California, USA July

Floris van Breugel / Manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca) bark detail, San Gabriel Mountains, California, USA February

Floris van Breugel / Macro shot of a Breccia in a remote canyon, Saline Valley, Death Valley National Park, California, USA December

Floris van Breugel / Close up of (Agave) plant leaves, California, USA November

Pal Hermansen / One-year ice off Ellesmere island, Nunavut, Canada, August.

Bence Mate / Great egrets (Ardea alba) sky pointing, sizing each other up before fighting, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary. January.

Alex Hyde / Keeled garlic flowers (Allium carinatum subsp. carinatum) flowers on black background, Julian Alps, Slovenia. July

Andres M. Dominguez / Ice and grass in frozen pond, Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, southern Spain, January.

Erlend Haarberg / Rock face reflected in lake surface with floating blue ice sheets, Ovre Pikhaugvatnet lake, Glomdalen valley, Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park, Norway, August 2015.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Pollarded European / Common beech tree (Fagus sylvatica) in Beech forest, Sarria, Gorbeia Natural Park, Alava, Basque Country, Spain, May.

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) about to take off to roosting site, Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula Mexico, January. Best image taken in Mexico and specially commended in...

Bence Mate / Leafcutter ants (Atta sp) colony harvesting a banana leaf, Costa Rica. 3rd place in the Insects and Spiders category of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awards competitions 2015.

Bence Mate / Great egret (Ardea alba) close up of feathers, Lake Csaj, Pusztaszer, Hungary, December. Winner of the Portfolio category of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awards competition 2015.

Bence Mate / White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) flying, with Great egret (Ardea alba) in the foreground, Lake Csaj, Pusztaszer, Hungary. February. Winner of the Portfolio category of the Terre Sauvage Natur...

Alex Mustard / Nudibranch (Flabellina lineata) in aquarium, taken in the field in Gulen, Norway. North East Atlantic Ocean. Collected for scientific research.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view of Delta Sierpe River Terraba, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. December 2014.

Alex Hyde / Round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) backlit at sunset. Isle of Mull, Scotland. June. Highly commended in the Botanical Britain Category of the British Widllife Photography Awards (BWPA) Competi...

Doug Perrine / Giant squirrelfish (Sargocentron spiniferum) at cleaning station in the cockpit of wreck of Panorama Air Tour Beech H18S that crashed in 1983 after take-off from Keahole airport, Kona, Hawaii.

Richard Robinson / A Blue shark (Prionace glauca) just below the surface, with nictitating membrane partially shut to protect its eye, Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand, June.

Sven Zacek / Melting ice in bog in spring, Tartumaa, Estonia, April 2013.

Dong Lei / Himalayan honeybee (Apis laboriosa) Mount Namjagbarwa, Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Park, Nyingchi Prefecture, Tibet, China. October.

Espen Bergersen / European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) in courtship display. Hornoya bird cliff, Finnmark, Norway. March.

Danny Green / Japanese crane (Grus japonensis) displaying, Hokkaido, Japan, February

Alex Hyde / Orange tip butterfly egg (Anthocharis cardamines) on Cuckoo flower / Lady's smock (Cardamine pratensis). Peak DIstrict National Park, Derbyshire, UK. May.

Alex Hyde / Close-up of Owl Butterfly (Caligo memnon) head showing compound eyes and proboscis. Captive, originating from Central America.

Pascal Tordeux / Aerial view of Cappadocia with hot air balloon, Turkey, March 2006.

Todd Mintz / Great horned owlet (Bubo virginianus) talons Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. June 2013.