Mangrove Photographer of the Year captures what might be the final of the Everglades’ iconic birds

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As the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem approaches, the Mangrove Action Project (MAP) has introduced the winners of the 2025 Mangrove Photography Awards. This annual world competitors makes use of the ability of pictures to lift consciousness, encourage motion, and join individuals to one of many planet’s most significant – and ignored – ecosystems.

The profitable photos visualize pressing motion. They discover the relationships between individuals, wildlife, and mangroves, highlighting the delicate stability of life in these coastal forests. Despite world restoration efforts, mangroves are disappearing. Half of the world’s mangrove ecosystems might collapse by 2025, threatened by deforestation, city growth, aquaculture, and local weather change.

The aerial shot, Bird’s Eye View of the Hunt, earned Mark Ian Cook the title Mangrove Photographer of the Year. The picture exhibits spoonbills flying throughout the Everglades – one of many final remaining flocks in a area the place rising sea ranges now threaten their survival.

Leo Thom, MAP’s Creative Director and founding father of the awards, says, “By intriguing people about the important role mangroves play in everyone’s lives, we want to instill an emotional and deeper connection for people to take action.”

Let’s discover the tales and messages behind a few of the profitable photos. To uncover extra of the awarded works, go to the Mangrove Action Project’s website.

Threats

Winner
Paradise Buried by Tom Quinney, Indonesia, Southeast Asia

Tom shot this picture utilizing a Nikon Z8 paired with a 180-600mm telephoto lens to compress the layers he noticed. Tom shares, “Not far from Bali’s airport and tourist beaches, I came across this mountain of waste towering behind one of the island’s struggling mangrove forests.

“Young shoots rise whereas useless trunks mark the place others failed. The scene is a quiet warning—of resilience below menace and of what lies simply out of body in paradise. I took this picture to point out the uneasy edge the place mass tourism, city waste, and important ecosystems collide.”

Landscape

Winner, Category: On the Ground
Mangrove Under the Milky Way by Gwi Bin Lim, Indonesia, Southeast Asia

“This is Walakiri Beach. Not lengthy after sundown, a wide ranging view of the Milky Way unfolded overhead. It’s pristine the place you’ll be able to expertise the spectacular evening sky in all its glory.”

People

Winner, Category: People, Conservation and Restoration
Mangrove Honey Bees Make Land by Ian Rock, Costa Rica, Central America

Ian captured the Terraba-Sierpe National Wetland, the largest mangrove forest in Costa Rica. He explains, “For the native communities that reside on this wetland, one of many poorest areas in Costa Rica, their main supply of earnings comes from fishing. Sadly fish and clam populations are declining from overfishing, lack of habitat, and local weather change placing financial strain on the communities.

“The community members are working with a Costa Rican branding agency to develop their Mangrove Honey brand. Eventually the honey will be available commercially, first in the local lodges and shops of the Osa Peninsula and then further around Costa Rica. The honey is delicious and unique, with a distinct salty sweet flavor.

“Ideally sooner or later, this undertaking has ripple results, creating much more alternatives for a group with restricted choices, alternatives which are depending on a prospering mangrove ecosystem quite than an over-harvested one. A resilient individuals and a resilient ecosystem.”

Underwater

Winner
Low tide on hermit crab island by Alex Pike, Australia, Australia and Oceania

Alex shares, “While Clibanarius taeniatus is one in every of Australia’s extra frequent hermit crab species, little or no is understood about it and I’m undecided it even has a typical identify.

“A study from 2003 found that its presence in large numbers generally indicates an environment that experiences higher freshwater flow than other marine intertidal regions. This is certainly true of the mangrove island I found at the entrance of Lake Macquarie which was absolutely teeming with these creatures. I visited this island at both low and high tides, and at low tide there were literally thousands of C.taeniatus feeding within the matrix of mangrove roots.”

Young Photographer

Winner
Crocodile Galaxy by Nicholas Hess, United States, North America

Nicholas explains that he oped to seize the shot for the previous 4 years residing in Florida. “Never whilst visiting this site did I get the chance before. But this day the stars literally aligned. At 2 AM, the Milky Way rose behind not one, but two crocodiles conducting some courting behavior.

“Seeing my alternative I arrange my tripod to make the most of a protracted publicity to seize the Milky Way in my picture. I then used a flash to freeze the crocodile’s refined motion. After perfecting my settings, I shot just a few photos as the feminine appeared to circle the male and beneath. This one turned out to be my favourite.”

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