Queer Nature Photography Awards 2026
"Fluidity"
Ysabela Coll
"Fluidity"
Many groupers are sequential hermaphrodites—a scientific term describing species that mature first as females before transitioning to males later in life. Their existence reveals that, even in nature, sex and identity are not always fixed or binary.
In this image, a black grouper moves through a dense school of silversides during a feeding event, its body almost dissolving into the shimmering mass surrounding it. Predator and prey become visually intertwined.
For me, this photograph is a meditation on fluidity, transformation, and the instability of boundaries. Nature constantly reminds us that identity is rarely rigid, and that the living world exists far beyond the binary frameworks humans often try to impose upon it.
About the Photographer
Name: Ysabelle Coll
Age: unknown
Nationality: the Dominican Republic
How does your identity influence your work?
My identity has taught me to embrace difference rather than fear it. It gives me the confidence to experiment, to create authentically even when I know my work may not always be understood, and to celebrate the success of others, knowing that creativity flourishes when everyone has the freedom to be themselves.
What message do you hope to convey with your work about the intersection of queerness and biodiversity in nature?
Nature has always been our greatest teacher. The remarkable diversity of queerness found throughout the natural world reminds us that there is no single way to exist. I hope my work encourages people to move beyond societal biases and embrace the complexity, diversity, and beauty that nature has always embodied.
What do you think is the importance of highlighting diversity in both nature and society, and how can photography play a role in this?
Photography has the power to connect us with experiences that feel distant. I hope my images spark curiosity, inspire wonder, and challenge preconceptions we may have. My goal is not only to show what I see in nature, but to share how it feels, inviting others to hopefully feel it too.
What is your favorite example of queerness in nature?
As an underwater photographer, I’m fascinated by the adaptability of marine life. Many species challenge the rigid beliefs humans impose on the world. But nature doesn’t reject diversity; quite the opposite, it thrives because of it. I hope we can approach one another with the same openness and celebration of the differences that make us unique.
A note from the Narwhal Rainbow Alliance
The black grouper is a striking example of protogynous hermaphroditism, a natural phenomenon where individuals begin life and reproduce as females, before transitioning into males later in life as they grow larger. This sequential transition is not a biological error, but a highly organized and successful evolutionary strategy to maximize reproductive success within their social hierarchies. By proving that biological sex can be a dynamic journey of transformation rather than a static, lifelong assignment, the grouper challenges our most rigid binary assumptions. In their ecosystems, black groupers act as ‘’apex predators’’, maintaining the balance of coral reefs, while schooling silversides form the crucial energetic foundation of the marine food web. The greatest threats to black groupers are overfishing—especially during their predictable spawning aggregations —and reef habitat degradation. Protecting them requires strictly enforced sustainable fishing quotas, marine protected areas (MPAs), and global action against coral bleaching and ocean warming.
Black Grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) – Near Threatened 🟡
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