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EMBS 38The 38th European Marine Biological Symposium (EMBS 38) was held in Aveiro, Portugal, 8-12 September 2003. One of the key components of the EMBS is the Yellow Submarine competition, in which teams with only the foggiest understanding of the rules compete fiercely for a trophy of no value whatsoever. These photographs were taken at the Yellow Submarine competition along the shore of the Ria de Aveiro on 10 September 2003 by William Silvert. Much of the activity centers on standing around wondering what will happen while the organizers make strange arrangements.
The first phase of the competition was based on cooperation. The teams of 5 were tied together at the ankles and had to race through an obstacle course involving running through tires, crawling through a tunnel, stepping through a maze of "electrical" wires, and collapsing after passing through two bricks. The second phase involved parasitism. Teams filled balloons which were stolen by parasites from the competing teams. The third phase was a combination of competition and the game of keep-away, as totally disorganised teams threw packages of vital resources back and forth. The competition ended with a feeding frenzy as the four remaining teams raced into the water to recover as many balloons as possible. Finally the four leading teams received their awards, after which we all had our own feeding frenzy on beer and sandwiches. For a change of pace before boarding the busses for the trip back, many of us crossed the road and the sand dunes to see the sun setting over the Atlantic Ocean.
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