All winning images and descriptions are available here
On the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, also known as World Mangrove Day, Mangrove Action Project (MAP) — a global leader in community-led mangrove conservation — is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 Mangrove Photography Awards.
Celebrating its 11th edition, the Mangrove Photography Awards serves as a powerful storytelling platform, offering audiences a glimpse into worlds they might never otherwise experience. This year saw a record-breaking 3,303 entries from 78 countries, including new entries from Samoa, Yemen, and Dominica.
The winning images capture the urgent race to save these endangered but precious ecosystems, found in 125 countries and territories around the world.
Mangroves are ecological powerhouses. They sequester up to five times more carbon than terrestrial forests, protect over 15 million people from flooding, support the livelihoods of millions of fishers and coastal communities, and provide vital habitats for countless marine and terrestrial species.
Despite these widespread benefits, 50% of the world’s mangrove ecosystems are at risk of collapse by 2050, with urban development, deforestation, aquaculture, and sea level rise contributing to worrying rates of decline.
Visual storytelling as conservation action
The Mangrove Photography Awards give professional and amateur photographers around the world a chance to weave narratives of urgency and hope in equal measure, inspiring action and fostering a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between people, wildlife, and mangroves.
“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,” said Leo Thom, MAP’s Creative Director and founder of the awards.
Judged by experts in the field who are passionate about merging photography with storytelling, this year’s panel includes Thai photojournalist and marine biologist Sirachai “Shin” Arunrugstichai; award-winning wildlife photographer Chien Lee; and underwater photographer, videographer, and shark naturalist Tanya Houppermans.
This year’s awards introduced exciting new elements designed to expand the initiative’s reach and impact.
The Emirates Award and Arabian Gulf Award were launched in partnership with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, celebrating photographers and conservation efforts in the United Arab Emirates and wider Gulf region.
New subcategories in the Wildlife, Landscape, and People categories were also created, expanding its recognition of the diversity of mangrove ecosystems, offering photographers a chance to tell stories from a different perspective.
“One of the most impressive aspects of this year’s competition is the remarkable diversity of images and shooting styles among the submissions,” Lee said. “Although an often overlooked ecosystem, these images show that mangroves not only hold a wealth of fascinating stories about the lives of people and animals that are inextricably connected with this habitat, but that mangroves also contain great beauty.”
“I believe that these photographs will go a long way in educating the public about mangroves through the brilliant visual stories they tell and will hopefully inspire people to do what they can to save these critical habitats,” Houppermans added.
2025 Winner: A story of urgency
This year’s overall winner and Mangrove Photographer of the Year, is avian ecologist, restoration scientist, and conservation photographer Mark Ian Cook with his photo, ‘Birds’ Eye View of the Hunt’.
At first glance, this scene of Roseate Spoonbills gliding over a lemon shark hunting mullet in the mangrove-lined waters of Florida Bay may give the appearance of a peaceful and balanced habitat. But Cook’s aerial shot documents what could be the last of the Everglades’ iconic birds, whose very health and survival is intrinsically linked with the health of the Everglades.
Despite years of successful restoration and recovery efforts — bringing Florida’s Spoonbill population back from a mere 15 pairs in the 1800s — rising sea levels are now significantly impacting the behavior of these birds in an area where a few centimeters makes the difference between a species thriving or leaving.
“Historically, Florida Bay was the primary nestling region of the Roseate Spoonbill in the US, but this species is becoming increasingly rare there as sea level rise negatively impacts their important mangrove foraging habitat,” Cook said. “Spoonbills are tactile foragers, meaning they feed by touch. However, for this foraging method to be successful, the birds need relatively shallow water with very high densities of fish. This becomes particularly critical during the energetic bottleneck of the nesting season.
“With climate-change induced sea-level rise, these critical lower water depths in the mangroves are increasingly failing to be met, fish densities are insufficient for effective foraging, and fewer birds are able to breed.”
Winners have also been announced in six categories — People, Landscape, Underwater, Threats, Wildlife, and Conservation Stories — as well as the Young Mangrove Photographer of the Year, Emirates Award, and Arabian Gulf Award.
We invite audiences to explore the stories behind the winning images to learn more about the importance of mangroves and global efforts to protect them. All winners will be live on our website on 26th July. Visit: photography.mangroveactionproject.org/
– NOTE TO EDITORS –
The Mangrove Photography Awards is organized by Mangrove Action Project (MAP), a
US-based non-profit dedicated to reversing the degradation and loss of mangrove forests and their associated coastal ecosystems around the world by giving a voice to coastal communities, restoration practitioners, and partner NGOs.
Through its grassroots, bottom-up approach, MAP strives to provide mangrove restoration and conservation, education, training, and consulting that promote community-based, sustainable management of coastal resources. Through this combined approach of action, advocacy, and education, MAP can ensure mangrove forests are healthy for current and future generations.
For more information about the awards, Mangrove Action Project, or to speak to a member of our team, please contact Leo Thom: leo@mangroveactionproject.org