Articles

We have featured no shortage of Monterey Bay based photographers as DPG Photographer of the Week, but there’s always room for one more! Kate Vylet is a conservation photographer and videographer who specializes in underwater photography and documenting the kelp forest ecosystem in her backyard. Kate holds a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology as well as AAUS Scientific Diver and NAUI Divemaster certifications. She is also trained as a marine scientist and has conducted kelp forest monitoring and climate change research for over a decade. As both a photographer and scientist, she recognized the power of images to communicate research and inspire conservation, and shifted her focus to conservation photography to share the stories of the underwater world.

Kate captures the colorful biodiversity of the kelp forest through a scientific lens, with a focus on bringing light to overlooked life and reframing public perception of maligned species. She also documents the impacts of climate change, the challenges the kelp forest faces, and the responding conservation and research efforts in hopes of spurring action to protect our blue planet. Her work has been awarded in numerous competitions and featured in various publications, including Audubon, National Wildlife, BBC Wildlife, Oceanographic, and Hakai magazines, as well as film and book contributions. She is also a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers and a Partner Photographer with Girls Who Click.
 

Left unchecked, purple urchins have torn through a kelp forest, creating a kelp barren, Monterey Bay, California, USA
 

A Pacific cormorant dives beneath beautiful kelp and sun rays in search of a snack, Monterey Bay, California, USA
 

A young giant kelp grows up in the green, nutrient-rich waters of springtime, Monterey Bay, California, USA
 

A marine scientist, researching the impacts of urchins on kelp forests, Monterey Bay, California, USA
 

An inquisitive sea otter and its curious pup come to inspect the camera, Monterey Bay, California, USA
 

A California sea lion swoops low over an urchin-studded rocky reef, Monterey Bay, California, USA
 

The staggeringly effective camouflage of the speckled sanddab, Carmel Bay, California, USA
 

Arguably one of the most unique and characterful fish faces on Earth is that of the monkeyface prickleback, Monterey Bay, California, USA
 

Rockfish cruise beneath a thick canopy of kelp, Monterey Bay, California, USA
 

An icon of Monterey Bay, a kelp stalk, California, USA
 

A wonderful, charismatic little fringehead shelters in some bryozoans, Monterey Bay, California, USA
 

An ochre star crawling over potential prey right at the surf line, Monterey Bay, California, USA
 

A diver conducts a kelp survey in Monterey Bay, California, USA
 

To see more of Kate’s award-winning work, please give her a follow on Instagram and visit her website, www.katevylet.com.