Environmental Picture Competitors Exhibits Devastating Influence People Can Have on Wildlife

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A split image shows: on the left, a koala lies injured on the edge of a road at dusk with car headlights approaching; on the right, a sea turtle glows with green bioluminescence underwater.
Doug Gimesy, left, Britta Jachinski, proper. Scroll down for captions.

The winners of the 2026 Environmental Photography Award have been introduced, and photographer Britta Jaschinski has been offered with the grand prize for her picture, Handprint on Sea Turtle, which additionally gained the “Changemakers” class.

The award is organized by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. It shortlisted 36 images, and contains seven prize-winning photographs: 5 class winners — “Changemakers”, “Forests”, “Humanity vs Nature”, “Ocean”, and “Polar Regions” — every receiving a €1,000 ($1,170) money prize; a Public Award; and a Student’s Choice Award, each receiving a €500 ($585) grant. The Grand Prize is chosen from among the many 5 class winners and is supported by a €5,000 ($5,850) grant.

Jaschinski’s profitable photograph exhibits the sinister handprint made by a human who mustn’t have been touching a inexperienced sea turtle. She was in a position to seize the photograph by way of her work with wildlife forensics, who’re looking smugglers.

The scene demonstrates a technique for securing forensic proof that may assist to catch poachers and animal traffickers. Special fluorescent powder dyes, photographed below ultraviolet gentle, reveal traces of handprints and fingerprints, blood and different bodily fluids, and gunpowder residues, amongst others.

A sea turtle viewed from above glows with green bioluminescence on its shell and fins, floating against a dark, starry background with scattered green light patterns.
Environmental Photographer of the Year 2026 and winner of the ‘Changemakers’ class. | © Britta Jaschinski

“I am deeply grateful to HSH Prince Albert II and his Foundation for bringing us together in support of our precious planet,” says Jaschinski. “It is a true honor to be named Environmental Photographer of the Year 2026, recognized by an esteemed jury among such distinguished work.”

Category Winners and Runners-Up

A person carrying a large, detailed bird sculpture resembling a curlew walks through a farm gate, with stone walls, rusty trailers, and rolling green hills in the background under a cloudy sky.
Runner-up within the ‘Changemakers’ class. | © Morgan Heim
A person wearing protective beekeeping gear stands surrounded by hundreds of bees covering their suit and the white background wall.
Runner-up within the ‘Changemakers’ class. | © Maud Delaflotte
A koala lies motionless on the edge of a paved road at dusk, illuminated by headlights from an approaching car, surrounded by forest.
Winner of the Public Award. Koalas in Australia cross roads on a regular basis, however sadly it’s a significant risk to the long-lasting species. Speeding drivers are guilty for not simply deaths, however welfare because the marsupials additionally endure crippling accidents. The photographer urges drivers to decelerate. | © Doug Gimesy
Two toucans perched and one in flight on a tree in front of a misty waterfall surrounded by lush greenery, with a cloudy sky in the background.
Winner of the ‘Forests’ class. | © Arnaud Farre
A Florida panther lies on the ground amid dense foliage, looking upward with its mouth slightly open, revealing its teeth. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled light on its face and fur.
Runner-up within the ‘Forests’ class. A feminine puma in Costa Rica. | © Luca Eberle
A green parrot with yellow tail feathers and open wings pecks at the tail of a large lizard climbing a tree trunk, with lush green foliage in the background.
Runner-up within the ‘Forests’ class. A parakeet assaults a monitor lizard. | © Hira Punjabi
A pile of shark fins burns intensely inside a furnace, surrounded by bright orange and yellow flames.
Winner of the ‘Humanity Vs Nature’ class. Shark fins that had been seized by authorities in Brazil are incinerated. | © Fernando Faciole
Two children look out from a window above floodwaters in a narrow alley; one child sits on the window ledge with feet above the water, while the other stands behind the glass. Flooded street and houses are visible outside.
Runner-up within the ‘Humanity Vs Nature’ class. Flooding within the coronary heart of Java Island, Indonesia. | © Alain Schroeder
Underwater view of two large whale sharks swimming near the surface, with silhouettes of people swimming and snorkeling above and around them and an outrigger boat floating above in clear blue water.
Runner-up within the ‘Humanity Vs Nature’ class. Whale shark vacationer website within the Philippines. | © Peter McGee
A large seabird with wings spread glides just above a dense, swirling school of fish in blue water, creating ripples and patterns on the surface.
Winner of the ‘Ocean’ class. A wedge-tailed shearwater plunges right into a football-pitch-sized college of lanternfish, struggling to single out a goal. The fish transfer as one, their education defence working completely. The chicken surfaced with out catching something and circled again for one more dive. | © Henley Spiers
A dramatic sunset sky with dark clouds looms over a tropical island, while below the water’s surface, a large school of shimmering fish swims in the blue ocean.
Runner-up within the ‘Ocean’ class. A faculty of bigeye trevally, D’Arros Island, Seychelles. | © Shane Gross
Aerial view of a whale underwater with its fluke visible above the surface, surrounded by a circular disturbance in the dark ocean.
Runner-up within the ‘Ocean’ class. Humpback whale and her calf. | © Arnaud Farre
A dense group of walruses, seen from above, packed closely together. Their brown bodies and long tusks are visible, forming a textured, almost uniform mass.
Winner of the ‘Polar Regions’ class. Pacific walruses on Ratmanov Island. | © Vadim Makhorov
Two polar bears stand close together on a vast, snow-covered slope, with diagonal lines of exposed dark rock cutting across the white landscape. The bears are small against the expansive, wintry backdrop.
Runner-up of the ‘Polar Regions’ class. Polar bear mom and cub. | © Panos Laskarakis
Two brown skuas stand on snow, each grasping a chick or small bird in their beaks, appearing to compete over the prey against a bright, snowy background.
Runner-up of the ‘Polar Regions’ class. Brown skuas, Antarctica. | © Lucas Bustamante

The images shortlisted for the 2026 version might be exhibited on the Promenade du Larvotto in Monaco from 28 May to 30 July 2026, earlier than touring internationally. As in earlier editions, a e-book that includes all chosen photographs and their accompanying texts might be printed by Skira Paris.

The name for entries for subsequent 12 months’s competitors will start on September 1.


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