Two avid photographers from the School of Environmental Sciences have documented their oceanography research trips with a collection of stunning photographs.

Elizabeth Jones and Karel Castro-Morales photographed Antarctica in great detail capturing everything from penguins and whales to icebergs.

Elizabeth, 27, and whose passion for photography started in 1997 when she was captivated by Kenya's wildlife, landscape, people, colours and the culture, said: 'Going to Antarctica has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It is such an inspiring environment and the remoteness, vast distances and often rough weather conditions make it a challenging but hugely rewarding place to conduct research.

'To be able to capture these moments on camera is a dream come true, whether it is the thrill of seeing the first iceberg, penguin or whale or getting your hands wet with sea water that has been brought up from 6000 meters in the deep ocean.'

Since completing her PhD, Elizabeth has taken up a post doctoral position at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research where she is pursuing her love of ocean research with further expeditions to Antarctica, the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.

Karel, 33, who comes from Mexico, said: 'My interest in photography started as a hobby and during my first Antarctic cruise I decided to start a blog to document my experience with pictures. I wanted to share how spectacular the coldest continent in the world is with my family and friends back in Mexico, and show them that dreams can really come true.

'Many people that I didn't even know, including many kids, were reading my blog so I felt very motivated to do a good job with my camera.'

She now hopes to hold an exhibition of her photographs in Mexico. Since completing her PhD, Karel has secured a postdoctoral position at the Alfred-Wegener Institute in Germany, where she is researching the paths of anthropogenic pollutants in the Arctic Ocean. She will be undertaking a cruise to the North Pole next year.

Elizabeth and Karel are among more than 4,100 students taking part in the UEA graduations 2011 this wee.