Theo Bosboom's Image

Theo Bosboom (the Netherlands) shows how mussels bind together to avoid being washed away from the shoreline.

Theo likes to take images of species that aren’t usually considered beautiful or important, to highlight their unappreciated significance.

He took this image from above with a probe lens – a long, thin, macro wide-angle lens.

Mussels are important because they help create conditions for other creatures like crustaceans, worms and small fish to thrive.

They improve water quality by feeding on plankton, bacteria and toxins, stopping them from building up to dangerous levels. This process is called filter-feeding.