AWARDS, PUBLICATIONS & EXHIBITIONS

Conservation photographer and filmmaker Tom Vierus speaking at a public event.

Over the past decade, Tom’s photography and films have been published internationally, screened at film festivals and recognised in major nature and underwater photography competitions. His editorial work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Oceanographic and World Wildlife.

With a background in marine biology, he also remains actively involved in research and has co-authored scientific publications on sharks, rays and Pacific birdlife.

Selected recognition

2016 — German Prize for Science Photography

First place in the reportage category for a photographic series documenting shark research.

2022 — World Nature Photography Awards

First place in the Animal Portraits category.

2024 — Festival Sublimage

Tortue d’Or for Manta Conservation at Wakaya Island.

2025 — Ocean Art

Second place in the Underwater Conservation category

AWARDS & FILM FESTIVAL SCREENINGS

2024
- Tortue d’Or — Video Category, Festival Sublimage, for Manta Conservation at Wakaya Island
- Second Place — Underwater Conservation, Ocean Art 2024
- Honourable Mention — Video Category, Nature’s Best Photography Awards 2024, for Manta Conservation at Wakaya Island
- Special Mention — Portfolio, Ocean Geographic Picture of the Year Competition
- Runner-Up — Conservation, Ocean Geographic Picture of the Year Competition
- Third Place — Environmental, World Shootout Competition
2023
- Highly Honoured, Nature’s Best International Photography Awards, for Searching for the Kulawai — Bird Conservation in Fiji
- Honourable Mention — Photo Journalist Award, Ocean Geographic Picture of the Year Competition
- Finalist — Human & Ocean, Ocean Geographic Picture of the Year Competition
- First Place — Underwater, Tommy Schultz Photography Contest
- Semifinalist — Conservation & Sharks, World Shootout Competition
2022
- Second Place — Nature-Based Solutions & Ocean Exploration, United Nations World Oceans Day Photo Contest
- Two images selected for the 100-photograph Ocean Visuals Collection by Climate Outreach
- Finalist — Human Connection Award, Ocean Photographer of the Year 2022
- Official Selection, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, New York, for Discovery of Oceanic Manta Rays in Fiji // Manta Project Fiji 2022
- Official Selection, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, New York, for Coral Spawning in Fiji
- First Place — Animal Portraits, World Nature Photography Awards
2021
- Runner-Up — Howard Hall Award of Excellence, Ocean Geographic Picture of the Year Competition, for My Fiji Shark
- Honourable Mention — Photo Journalist, Ocean Geographic Picture of the Year Competition, for an Oceanographic feature on Fiji’s Great Sea Reef
- Official Selection, Earth Photo 2021, for Searching for the Kulawai // Bird Conservation in Fiji
- Official Selection, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, New York, for Searching for the Kulawai // Bird Conservation in Fiji
- Official Selection, CINEMARE International Ocean Film Festival Kiel, for Physioshark | Baby Sharks and Climate Change
- Semifinalist — Conservation, World Shootout Competition
2020
- Honourable Mention — Video Category, Nature’s Best Photography Awards 2020, for Physioshark | Baby Sharks and Climate Change
- Bronze Trophy — Short Film, International Underwater Festival of New Caledonia
- Semifinalist — Sharks, World Shootout Competition
2019
- First Prize — Gold Manta, Black & White, International Underwater Festival of New Caledonia
- Special Mention — Howard Hall Award for Outstanding Achievement, Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year Contest, for Physioshark | Baby Sharks and Climate Change
- Official Selection, Moving Waters Film Festival, India, for FishAct | Fighting Illegal Fishing
- Official Selection, Ocean Coast Film Festival, Portugal, for Physioshark | Baby Sharks and Climate Change
- Official Selection, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, New York, for FishAct | Fighting Illegal Fishing
- Official Selection, DEEPWAVE Film Festival, for REPICORE | Research in Melanesia
- Official Selection, Ocean City Film Festival, for REPICORE | Research in Melanesia
- Official Selection, Raw Science Film Festival, for REPICORE | Research in Melanesia
- Official Selection, Raw Science Film Festival, for Physioshark | Baby Sharks and Climate Change
2018
- Best Cinematography, A Show For A Change Film Festival, for REPICORE | Research in Melanesia
- Best Cinematography, A Show For A Change Film Festival, for Physioshark | Baby Sharks and Climate Change
- Second Place — Video Category, Lens Beyond Ocean
- Finalist, Siena International Photo Awards
- Official Selection, Barbados Independent Film Festival, for Physioshark | Baby Sharks and Climate Change
- Official Selection, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, New York, for Physioshark | Baby Sharks and Climate Change
- Semifinalist — Sharks, World Shootout Competition
2016
- First Place — Reportage, German Science Photography Award
- Semifinalist — Sharks, World Shootout Competition

Peer-Reviewed Publications

2025 — Vierus, T. Signs of hybridisation? A red shining-parrot (Prosopeia tabuensis) with mixed traits in a masked shining-parrot (P. personata) flock on Viti Levu, Fiji. Notornis 72(4): 224–226. DOI
2025 — Vierus, T. Photographically confirmed sighting of the New Britain Goshawk Tachyspiza princeps. Australian Field Ornithology 42: 14–16.
2024 — Glaus, K., Vierus, T., & Macfarlane, R. Observational data on the reproductive condition of female Oceania fantail rays, Taeniura lessoni, from Drawaqa Island, Fiji. Frontiers in Marine Science 11: 1401258.
2024 — Glaus, K., Gordon, L., Vierus, T., Marosi, N. D., & Sykes, H. Rays in the Shadows: Batoid Diversity, Occurrence, and Conservation Status in Fiji. Biology 13(2): 73.
2022 — Gordon, L., & Vierus, T. First photographic evidence of oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris) at two locations in the Fiji Islands. PeerJ 10: e13883.
2018 — Vierus, T., Gehrig, S., Brunnschweiler, J. M., Glaus, K., Zimmer, M., Marie, A. D., & Rico, C. Discovery of a multispecies shark aggregation and parturition area in the Ba Estuary, Fiji Islands. Ecology and Evolution 8(14): 7079–7093.

Scientific Reports & Assessments

2024 — Ba Estuary Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) Factsheet. IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Scientific contributions by Tom Vierus, Kerstin Glaus, Luke Gordon & Christoph A. Rohner.
2019 — Paris, A., Vierus, T., & Gehrig, S. Vanua o Votua Shark and Ray Survey Report: Activity 1.1.1.2, Fiji Ridge to Reef Project. University of the South Pacific, Institute of Applied Sciences.

publications

2025
- Nikon Magazine, Beneath the surface: Tom Vierus on the power of underwater photography to drive change
- Feature Article (14 pages) in World Wildlife (WWF) Magazine: Land, Home, Village, Self
  The interwoven effort to save reefs, corals, and a modern but traditional way of life
- Nikon Magazine, Conservation storyteller Tom Vierus on his most historic shot yet
2024
- In Waves, A CD/Book by Samy Thiebault & Tom Vierus, ISBN: 352-138-189-866-8
- Digit! Das Profi Magazin (Six-page Interview about Tom’s work)
- Fiji Traveller magazine (Interview with Tom)
2023
- The Shark Reef Marine Reserve In Fiji (Photobook), ISBN: 978-982-101-441-0
- The Guardian, Photostory about World Turtle Day
2021
- The Guardian (Web, photos and text)
- Nereus, Swiss Diving Magazine (Photo contributor, Switzerland)
- The Guardian (Print & Web, United Kingdom)
- Oceanographic (Print & Web, Worldwide)
2020
- Oceanographic (Web, Worldwide)
- WWF-US Magazine (United States)
- Cosmopolitan (Germany)
- Der Spiegel (Germany)
- Oceanographic (Print & Web, Worldwide)
2019
- FIJITIME | Fiji Airways In-Flight Magazine (Fiji)
- Island Spirit | Fly Vanuatu Inflight Magazine (Vanuatu)
- FIJITIME | Fiji Airways In-Flight Magazine (Fiji)
- Unterwasser (Germany)
- FIJITIME | Fiji Airways In-Flight Magazine (Fiji)
- Bild der Wissenschaft (Germany)
- FIJITIME | Fiji Airways In-Flight Magazine (Fiji)
- FIJITIME | Fiji Airways In-Flight Magazine (Fiji)
2018
- VDA-Aktuell (Germany)
- FIJITIME | Fiji Airways In-flight magazine (Fiji)
- TAUCHEN (Germany)
- DIVER (United Kingdom)
- Welt am Sonntag (Germany)
2017
- The Guardian (UK)
- TAUCHEN (Germany)
- Divemaster (Germany)
- Leibniz-Magazine (Germany)
- DIVER (United Kingdom)
2016
- TAUCHEN (Germany)
- Unterwasser (Germany)
- Fiji Times (Fiji)

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

2021: “Closeness” at Alliance Française de Suva, Fiji
2020: “Being Alive - The Pacific Environment Above and Below the Water Surface” at Alliance Française de Suva, Fiji
2018: “Threatened oasis - Tropical Coral Reefs” at the Palaeontological Museum in Munich, Germany
2017: “Fascination sharks: hunters or hunted?” at the House of Science, Bremen, Germany

Group Exhibitions

2022: “Dancers in the Sky, Caring for Nature”. China Cultural Centre, Suva, Fiji
2021: Fiji Arts Council, Display of Local Artists’ Work, Fiji
2018: “Images of the South Pacific” at the IUCN Oceania Regional Conservation Forum, Fiji
2018: “20. Internationalen Fürstenfelder Naturfototage” Germany
2016: “Fiji and New Caledonia Underwater” at Alliance Française de Suva, Fiji

Interviews & Honorary Work

Interviews

Honorary Work

2022 - ongoing: Photo/Video/Website Design for Animal Shelter SPCA Fiji Islands
2021: Jury Member for Photography competition at ICYMARE 2021
2019: Jury Member for the SCIENCE FILM EXPOSURE HACKATHON in Switzerland
2018: Jury Member for the G7 OCEAN YOUTH INNOVATION CHALLENGE 2018
2017: Jury Member for the CASIO VEKTORIA AWARD 2017