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Mangrove Photography Awards illuminate a world of amazing secrets

Olivia Harris
1 min read·October 24, 2023 - 2:29PM
News Corp Australia Network

From over 2,000 entries from 72 nations, the Mangrove Photography Awards have announced their winners, showcasing the beauty and global significance of mangrove ecosystems.

This year, Soham Bhattacharyya has been crowned Mangrove Photographer of the Year with his image, ‘The Finest ‘Flower’ of the Mangroves’ - a special shot that captures the curious gaze of a young, endangered tigress in the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve.

The other winners feature across six different categories - People, Landscape, Underwater, Threats, Wildlife, and Stories - while photographers under the age of 24 competed to become the Young Mangrove Photographer of the Year.

Today, less than half the world’s original mangrove forest cover remains, and it has never been more important to promote the conservation of these fragile habitats. Run by the Mangrove Action Project, this competition serves as a vital platform for creatives to captivate our imagination and spark action. See the full collection below.

 

Lights from the city, Milky Way and Lyrid meteor shower emanate in alignment out of the mangroves trees in the Philippines. Picture: Aaron Ruy G. Musa
Lights from the city, Milky Way and Lyrid meteor shower emanate in alignment out of the mangroves trees in the Philippines. Picture: Aaron Ruy G. Musa

 

Nurse sharks gather in the peaceful Bahamian mangroves to mate. Picture: Shane Gross
Nurse sharks gather in the peaceful Bahamian mangroves to mate. Picture: Shane Gross

 

A fisherman navigates the winter mangroves in Hue, Vietnam. The scarcity of leaves gives the forest the appearance of a giant spider web. Picture: Phan Thi Khanh
A fisherman navigates the winter mangroves in Hue, Vietnam. The scarcity of leaves gives the forest the appearance of a giant spider web. Picture: Phan Thi Khanh

 

In The Gulf of Ana Maria in Cuba, this mangrove-dwelling American saltwater crocodile was spotted with its mouth tangled in nylon rope. Picture: Yordanis Mendez Segura
In The Gulf of Ana Maria in Cuba, this mangrove-dwelling American saltwater crocodile was spotted with its mouth tangled in nylon rope. Picture: Yordanis Mendez Segura

 

The Mwal people in Bangladesh risk their lives to collect honey, dodging deadly Bengal tigers, crocodiles and venomous snakes. Climate change, rising water levels and high salinity threaten the future of this traditional occupation. Picture: Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman
The Mwal people in Bangladesh risk their lives to collect honey, dodging deadly Bengal tigers, crocodiles and venomous snakes. Climate change, rising water levels and high salinity threaten the future of this traditional occupation. Picture: Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman

 

A mangrove forest swept away by Hurricane Isidoro on the north coast of Yucatán, Mexico. Picture: Esteban Ernesto Dupinet Valencia
A mangrove forest swept away by Hurricane Isidoro on the north coast of Yucatán, Mexico. Picture: Esteban Ernesto Dupinet Valencia

 

A land hermit crab wanders close to the beach of Pom Pom island in Malaysia, using a plastic deodorant plug instead of a shell. Hermit crabs attempt to inhabit these unnatural 'shells,' which do not provide the necessary protection and can hinder their growth and survival. Picture: Emanuele Biggi
A land hermit crab wanders close to the beach of Pom Pom island in Malaysia, using a plastic deodorant plug instead of a shell. Hermit crabs attempt to inhabit these unnatural 'shells,' which do not provide the necessary protection and can hinder their growth and survival. Picture: Emanuele Biggi

 

There are perhaps only 200 of these magnificent Royal Bengal tigers in India’s Sundarbans mangrove forest, and they are the only tigers adapted to live in this habitat. Sadly, due to erosion and human interference, this habitat is shrinking rapidly, and the tiger population along with it. Picture: Soham Bhattacharyya
There are perhaps only 200 of these magnificent Royal Bengal tigers in India’s Sundarbans mangrove forest, and they are the only tigers adapted to live in this habitat. Sadly, due to erosion and human interference, this habitat is shrinking rapidly, and the tiger population along with it. Picture: Soham Bhattacharyya

 

Mangrove planting takes place in a forest in Vietnam. Picture: Kim Cuong Nguyen Trang
Mangrove planting takes place in a forest in Vietnam. Picture: Kim Cuong Nguyen Trang

 

A juvenile lemon shark swims in shallow mangrove forests in the Bahamas. These smart, curious yet clumsy sharks build friendships with other juveniles to learn how to hunt together. Picture: Anita Kainrath
A juvenile lemon shark swims in shallow mangrove forests in the Bahamas. These smart, curious yet clumsy sharks build friendships with other juveniles to learn how to hunt together. Picture: Anita Kainrath

 

Since the dawn of time, people have been diving in the mangroves in the Congo River in search of clams. Women spend hours scouring the river bed in search of this treasure, swimming alongside manatees and turtles and fighting treacherous currents. Picture: Kris Pannecoucke
Since the dawn of time, people have been diving in the mangroves in the Congo River in search of clams. Women spend hours scouring the river bed in search of this treasure, swimming alongside manatees and turtles and fighting treacherous currents. Picture: Kris Pannecoucke

 

Unique conditions in temperature, minerals, and algae turn this lagoon in Colombia pink. Photographer Felipe Santander spent four days and 15 drone batteries to capture the perfect shot, complete with the formation of birds flying over the pink lake. Picture: Felipe Santander
Unique conditions in temperature, minerals, and algae turn this lagoon in Colombia pink. Photographer Felipe Santander spent four days and 15 drone batteries to capture the perfect shot, complete with the formation of birds flying over the pink lake. Picture: Felipe Santander

 

Taken from a helicopter, the photographer captured the rarely observed mating behaviour of two large Nurse Sharks in the shallow waters off Shark Point in the Everglades National Park, Florida. Picture: Mark Ian Cook
Taken from a helicopter, the photographer captured the rarely observed mating behaviour of two large Nurse Sharks in the shallow waters off Shark Point in the Everglades National Park, Florida. Picture: Mark Ian Cook

 

The TRY Oyster Women Association plays a vital role in protecting the wetlands on the River Gambia, educating members to preserve the mangroves and harvest oysters sustainably, as well as engaging in reforestation and encouraging the women to consider themselves stewards of the mangroves. // Picture: Jason Florio
The TRY Oyster Women Association plays a vital role in protecting the wetlands on the River Gambia, educating members to preserve the mangroves and harvest oysters sustainably, as well as engaging in reforestation and encouraging the women to consider themselves stewards of the mangroves. // Picture: Jason Florio

 

Lemon shark pups hide in the mangroves at high tide, awaiting safe, shallow waters to allow them to feed. Picture: Shane Gross
Lemon shark pups hide in the mangroves at high tide, awaiting safe, shallow waters to allow them to feed. Picture: Shane Gross

 

A lush and thriving mangrove forest grows atop a vibrant coral reef in Indonesia's Gam island - a split shot depicting two ecosystems that are vital for the health of our oceans. Picture: Brooke Pyke
A lush and thriving mangrove forest grows atop a vibrant coral reef in Indonesia's Gam island - a split shot depicting two ecosystems that are vital for the health of our oceans. Picture: Brooke Pyke

 

In the mangrove forest of Colombia’s Utria National Park, a Common Potoo is nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding branches while it perches motionless on its nest. Picture: Chien Lee
In the mangrove forest of Colombia’s Utria National Park, a Common Potoo is nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding branches while it perches motionless on its nest. Picture: Chien Lee

 

Bangladesh’s Sundarbans is one of the wildest places left on Earth: a biodiversity hotspot and complex network of waterways that is only accessible by boat. As our climate crisis intensifies, so too does the plight of those living here, reliant only on the environment around them. Picture: Mohammad Rakibul Hasan
Bangladesh’s Sundarbans is one of the wildest places left on Earth: a biodiversity hotspot and complex network of waterways that is only accessible by boat. As our climate crisis intensifies, so too does the plight of those living here, reliant only on the environment around them. Picture: Mohammad Rakibul Hasan

 

Reforestation work in La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve, Mexico. UNESCO is working closely with local communities and local management committees to restore their mangrove forests. Picture: Jorge Silva
Reforestation work in La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve, Mexico. UNESCO is working closely with local communities and local management committees to restore their mangrove forests. Picture: Jorge Silva

 

A baby Golden-spotted mudskipper snapped on the edge of a mangrove in Samut Sakorn province, Thailand. Mudskippers are an amphibious fish and can use their pectoral fins to 'walk' on land. Picture: Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn
A baby Golden-spotted mudskipper snapped on the edge of a mangrove in Samut Sakorn province, Thailand. Mudskippers are an amphibious fish and can use their pectoral fins to 'walk' on land. Picture: Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn

 

A worker carries a crate full of garbage in Jakarta, Indonesia. Plastic debris can accumulate quickly in mangrove forests, damaging the roots, which are essential for stabilising the coastline and providing habitat for numerous species. Picture: Gerdie Hutomo
A worker carries a crate full of garbage in Jakarta, Indonesia. Plastic debris can accumulate quickly in mangrove forests, damaging the roots, which are essential for stabilising the coastline and providing habitat for numerous species. Picture: Gerdie Hutomo

 

Egrets steal fish from nets in Mannar Island, Sri Lanka. Picture: Kaveesha Madhubhashana
Egrets steal fish from nets in Mannar Island, Sri Lanka. Picture: Kaveesha Madhubhashana

 

A young manatee feeds at the bottom of a shallow lagoon in Mexico. Boat traffic, deforestation, and pollution all threaten manatees and their habitats. Picture: Valentina Cucchiara
A young manatee feeds at the bottom of a shallow lagoon in Mexico. Boat traffic, deforestation, and pollution all threaten manatees and their habitats. Picture: Valentina Cucchiara

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/photos/mangrove-photography-awards-illuminate-a-world-of-amazing-secrets/news-story/06d392d4083a77ed267ce73f26df0d80