“Birds’ eye view of the hunt,” Mark Ian Cook, Mangrove Photographer of the Year. United States. “A flock of Roseate Spoonbills glide over a lemon shark hunting mullet in the shallow, mangrove-lined waters of Florida Bay.”
The Mangrove Photography Awards recently announced its 2025 competition winners, and the results offer a stunning glimpse into our natural world. An initiative of the Mangrove Action Project, this unique contest centers on conservation storytelling to celebrate the beauty, diversity, and, ultimately, fragility of global mangrove forests. It offers a platform to share the story of the mangrove, which is a shrub or tree that grows along coastlines and tidal rivers. These ecological powerhouses can sequester up to five times more carbon than terrestrial forests and are a vital part of the overall environment. This year’s winners highlight how mangroves touch many parts of our lives, from being a haven for wildlife to a source of livelihood for the people who live near them.
The competition celebrated its 11th edition with 2025 being a record-breaking year. It saw 3,303 entries from 78 countries. From that, judges narrowed down winners in categories including Wildlife, Threats, People, and Underwater, while ultimately crowning the Photographer of the Year. Mark Ian Cook took home the top honor for his photograph titled Birds’ eye view of the hunt. The aerial image features wildlife in the skies and the sea, with a flock of Roseate Spoonbills flying over a lemon shark on the hunt in the mangrove-lined waters of Florida Bay.
The judges responded to Cook’s use of aesthetic elements, including a unique perspective and vivid color palette, as well as what it illustrates about mangroves. “[The photo] clearly shows the diversity of life that lives and dies,” remarks judge Shin Arunrugstichai, “both aerial and aquatic in the same space and time, that all depends on the mangrove ecosystem.”
Scroll down to see the category winners from the Mangrove Photography Awards 2025.
The Mangrove Photography Awards recently announced its 2025 competition winners in a variety of categories.
“Avian Impressionism,” Mark Ian Cook. Winner, Wildlife, Birds. United States. “Blue-winged Teal create ephemeral artwork as they dabble for food in the chai-coloured shallows of Florida Bay, Florida.”
Here are some of the incredible winning images that celebrate the beauty, diversity, and fragility of global mangrove forests.
“A Snack in the Mangrove Forest,” Satwika Satria. Winner, Wildlife, Mammals. Indonesia. “A young proboscis monkey enjoys an avicennia fruit amidst the dense mangrove forest.”
“Low tide on hermit crab island,” Alex Pike. Winner, Underwater. Australia. “While Clibanarius taeniatus is one of Australia’s more common hermit crab species, very little is known about it and I’m not sure it even has a common name.”
“Morning Serenity in Abu Dhabi,” Ahmed Badwan. Winner, Emirates Award. United Arab Emirates. “A serene morning kayak journey through the lush mangroves on one of Abu Dhabi’s tranquil islands—where nature whispers in stillness, and sunlight dances gently on the water’s surface, creating a scene of pure harmony.”
“Mangrove Honey Bees Make Land,” Ian Rock. Winner, People, Conservation and Restoration. Costa Rica. “After a winding route through many narrow canals, fisherman Manuel carries a heavy bee hive off a boat to its new home within the buffer zone of the Terraba-Sierpe mangrove forest, the start of a new mangrove honey project for the community.”
“Mangrove Under the Milky Way,” Gwi Bin Lim. Winner, Landscape, On the Ground. Indonesia. “A stunning view of the Milky Way unfolds above a landscape where mangrove trees and forests blend in perfect harmony.”
“Paradise Buried,” Tom Quinney. Winner, Threats. Indonesia. “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 while dead trunks mark where others failed. The scene is a quiet warning—of resilience under threat and of what lies just out of frame in paradise. I took this photo to show the uneasy edge where mass tourism, urban waste, and vital ecosystems collide.”
“Bhoben Biseash and his Otters,” Freddie Claire. Winner, People, Livelihoods. Bangladesh. “The otters get their reward for a busy morning of fishing.”
“Mangroves and Modernity,” Ahmed Badwan. Winner, Landscape, From the Air. United Arab Emirates. “The harmonious blend of mangrove nature with the modernity of the city — a captivating contrast where urban innovation meets the timeless rhythm of the wild.”
“Crocodile Galaxy,” Nicholas Hess. Winner, Young Photographer. United States. “A pair of American Crocodiles sit before The Milky Way Galaxy in a mangrove forest in the Florida Everglades.”
“Cormorants welcoming the sunrise in the embrace of the mangroves,” Dr. Mahdi Mohammad Gholoum. Winner, Arabian Gulf Award. Qatar. “On a quiet morning, the cormorants welcome the sunrise as they rest among the branches of the mangrove trees. These skilled seabirds find in the shade of the mangroves a safe haven away from the waves and wind, where they can regain their energy after bathing in the sea. With the first golden rays of the sun, calm and tranquility fill the place, and the birds seem to join nature in greeting the start of a new day full of hope and life.”
