Meet the winners of the Mangrove Photography Awards 2023

Clam diving in the Congo, the magical Milky Way, underwater lemons, and a royal appearance – these are just some of this year’s captivating images.

Following weeks of deliberation, we’re excited to announce the winners of the 9th Mangrove Photography Awards! Year after year, creatives continue to inspire us with their incredible shots that help raise awareness of the people and wildlife that rely on mangrove forests, the threats these ecosystems face, and why urgent action is needed to protect them. This year’s awards has been one of the most diverse yet, with over 2,000 entries from 72 nations around the world, 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.

In addition, winners have been selected in 6 categories – People, Landscape, Underwater, Threats, Wildlife, and Stories (a portfolio category) – while photographers under the age of 24 competed to become the Young Mangrove Photographer of the Year.

The photos are a compelling reminder of the importance of mangroves for the diversity of life across our coastlines as photographers captured unique relationships and moments from mangrove ecosystems both above and below the water line. They’re also a stark reminder of our need to protect these unique and precious ecosystems.

Selecting our finalists was no mean feat, even for our international panel of judges, which this year included Daisy Gilardini, Octavio Aburto, Daniel Kordan and Fulvio Eccardi.

“The images from this year captivated our imagination… giving us hope and illuminating a positive future for mangrove ecosystems,” Octavio said.

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 ecosystems. The Mangrove Photography Awards is a vital platform for creatives to captivate our imagination and spark action.

Photographs of mangroves and contests related to them play a multifaceted role in advocating for the conservation and protection of these critical coastal forests,” Fulvio said. “They raise awareness, educate, inspire action, and contribute to the scientific understanding of these ecosystems, all of which are vital for their long-term survival and the well-being of coastal communities around the world.

Enjoy the selection of winning images below. To see all of the 2,210 entries, visit our mangrove gallery here.