This text is part of the special Acfas Prize booklet
Since 2010, the Proof by Image competition has rewarded photos resulting from research. Here are the four photos that caught the attention of the jury this year.
1. The Waltz of the Floes
By Jérôme Lemelin, Institute of Marine Sciences of Rimouski, jury prize and public discovery prize
“We fly over the Saguenay Fjord during the breakup, while thousands of pieces of sea ice, called “floes,” drift following the surface flow of the water masses. Following their movement, image by image, allows us to detail these otherwise invisible currents. This photo, which condenses several dozen successive images into a single one, bears witness, through large white filaments, to this swirling dance of the floes, punctuated by the tides. If such whirlpools, present in the oceans as in the Saguenay Fjord, capture the imagination, their role within marine ecosystems is still a mystery. »
2. Window on the changing St. Lawrence
By Théo Garnier, University of Sherbrooke, jury prize
“It’s January, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A colony of gray seals is gathered on an island in the Northumberland Strait to give birth to their pups. From the top of their helicopter, scientists observe the scene, aware of being at the forefront of climate change. Before the 2000s, puppies were mainly born on the ice floe and not on dry land. These marine mammals have modified their behaviors following the reduction in ice cover. The research team is interested here in the effects of these changes on the species, as well as the role of these pinnipeds in the ecosystem. »
3. Walls and whispers
Alice Cavalerie, Laval University, Human-Nature jury prize
“In the evening light, the flamboyant red of a building contrasts with the immaculate white of the snow. We are in Quaqtaq, in Nunavik. The mechanical engineering researcher went there with colleagues to collect data for the design of ecological buildings. She first analyzed data from sensors installed in 10 homes. However, to properly interpret the information, it was also necessary to “capture” lifestyles. The researcher therefore stayed in the community to conduct interviews on people’s interactions with the building and the comfort sought. »
4. Hanging on by a thread
Étienne Beaudoin, École de Technologie Supérieure, jury prize
“A moment before, these two black cylinders, which form the jaws of a tiny vice, were almost closed against each other, trapping a drop of polymer in the liquid phase. Then, in a fraction of a second, these jaws moved apart, with millimeter precision, thus stretching the drop to form an ephemeral capillary bridge. The lifespan and distinctive shape adopted by the polymer filament depend on its surface tension and viscosity. The device used here, called CaBER (Capillary Breakup Extensional Rheometer), developed by the École de Technologie Supérieure, is used precisely to characterize this viscosity which hangs by a thread. »
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