Mangroves And Ecosystems: 30 Best Pictures Of 2022 Mangrove Photography Awards

The sun rises along the peaceful beaches of East Sumba in Indonesia. “I wanted to capture the beauty and fragility of this unique wonder. We need to protect and visit places like this with great care, so future generations can also enjoy them.”

The mysteries of a rarely seen natural environment. A blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) fishing in a unique transition between fresh and saltwater in the Mexican cenotes. "During an exploration dive through the dark flooded caves, I came across this proudly standing crab silhouetted against the mangrove roots above."

Most of the mangroves found along UAE’s coastline are found in Abu Dhabi, acting as a “green lung” for the city. Patterns resembling a tree-like structure were spotted in the mangroves.

A view from below. A crocodile swims in the open water area of a cenote, surrounded by mangroves.

‘‘Guardian of the Mangroves’ captures an intimate moment when a curious American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) swam right up to Tanya Houppermans, and allowed her into its world of luscious mangroves at Gardens of the Queen (Jardines De La Reina).” 

Gardens of the Queen is an archipelago off the coast of Cuba, that has been strictly protected since 1996, and is one of the most untouched marine ecosystems in the world.‍

“The healthy population of American crocodiles is down to the pristine condition of the mangroves and I wanted to capture close-ups of this gentle giant in its natural habitat. I hope this image can illustrate that protecting areas like this is so critical.”

'Honey Hunters' collect wild honey deep in the mangroves of the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world. This ancient traditional event takes place every year during March and April, following the raw rhythms of nature.

This extraordinary relationship between the Moulis ‘honey hunters’ and the mangrove forest is unique and in danger of disappearing. Both recent human development in the area and the climate crisis, in particular the rise in sea levels, are threatening the ecology of the Sundarbans and with it, the way of life of the Moulis people.

Reflections at dawn on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida. "The refuge became a place for me to satisfy a need for quiet and peace where language and reason fall away, and the mind settles into a stillness and opens to a connection with all things."

If the mangroves disappear, so does the wildlife that depend on it. “Both mangroves and sharks are right on the edge and need protection. I wanted to show a different side of these juvenile lemon sharks; a social side, a more vulnerable side, and the delicate balance of this system.”

The preserved mangroves of Guaraqueçaba are an important place for visitors, including for this pair of Roseate Spoonbills (Platalea ajaja). "Paddling in a small boat allowed us to get close enough to the birds to watch them in their natural environment."

An Atlantic horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) in the mangroves of Ria Lagartos Nature Reserve, Yucatan. Females can lay up to 20,000 eggs in one night playing an important role in providing nutrient-rich eggs to migratory birds.

A pod of bottlenose dolphins actively forage in the mangrove-lined creeks of Shark River Slough in the southern Everglades.

A water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) struggles along the plastic-filled forest floor foraging for food. "More and more plastic fills our mangrove forests and it's affecting our wildlife that calls it 'home'."

“A lack of proper waste management systems in nearby villages means parts of the Godavari mangrove forest are becoming a dumping area for huge amounts of plastic. It's heartbreaking to think about the impact this will have on the wildlife here, including endangered species like fishing cats and smooth-coated otters.”

The Jubail Mangrove Park offers an escape from Abu Dhabi’s hustle and bustle, and encourages visitors to explore the mangrove haven for species native to the area.

The frequency of extreme weather events including lightning strikes is increasing every year in the Sundarbans mangrove forest in Bangladesh.

The light, angles, and shapes of a mangrove forest underwater.

A local fisherman casting his net in the mangroves after sunrise.

Mangrove beds are planted in rows in Bau Ca Cai, Quang Ngai province, in an attempt to improve the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities to the effects of climate change.

A local fisherman, Paulo Silva, collects waste from the mangroves in the Bay of Guanabara. NGO Guardians of the Sea have helped to clean up over 11 tons of garbage in these coastal forests.

A greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) takes off on a migration journey across Asia, and will most likely return to the same coastal wetlands in the winter months. "It was feeding with its head in the water, before flying off into the morning light."

A little world of its own. A lonely mangrove tree growing in the shallow waters of a lagoon in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Corals growing around can be seen in the reflection (green area).

"The mangroves here support a rich biodiversity and provide a valuable nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans. Juvenile Caribbean Spiny lobsters are finding shelter within the submerged roots before their journey to nearby reefs."

An increasingly rare seahorse (Hippocampus histrix) clings onto the dense mangrove roots. This healthy mangrove system is home to one of the last remaining populations in Mauritius.

A school of juvenile french grunts (Haemulon flavolineatum) using the roots of the mangroves as a nursery before moving onto the reefs of the Caribbean Islands.

A local woman plants mangrove saplings as part of a mangrove tree plantation program, at Gosaba, in the Sundarbans, on 26 July 2021, International Day for the Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems.

"8 years of opening up channels and maintaining water flows. The project aims to improve the biodiversity of Bonaire by restoring hydrological conditions and promoting sustainable tourism."

Women from Gabura Union in the Sundarbans collect water. Coastal villages have to rely on rainwater or freshwater ponds for safe drinking water.

Boats dock on the edge of Del Carmen waiting to take tourists into the protected and preserved mangroves of Siargao Island.

A fisherman casts his net in the river Matla in Canning during the low tide. Around 600,000 people are dependent in various ways on the Sundarbans’ resources, such as fish, crabs, honey, and nipa palm, or golpata (Nypa fruticans), for their livelihood.

Juvenile invasive caterpillars of the tussock moth (Euproctis spp.) feeding on a Sonnerati alba mangrove leaf in Seychelles. The unintentional introduction of non-native species can have devastating effects on local flora and fauna.

A Barred Mudskipper (Periophthalmus argentilineatus) rests on a stem in a mangrove swamp in Borneo. These amphibious fish have unique pectoral fins that allow the mudskipper to “skip” across muddy surfaces and even give them the ability to climb trees and low branches.

An area Katta Devi used to visit and photograph for its beauty, is now making way for rapidly expanding developments including aquaculture. “Deforestation is a huge problem in the mangroves. I saw a tiny bulldozer among the thousands of acres of forest being destroyed in the Godavari mangroves for the rapidly expanding aquaculture.”

Remnants of mangroves remain along the shores of Bac Lieu, having been replaced by shrimp farms and wind power turbines.

Coastal lagoons, islands, and extensive mangrove swamps are found in the beautiful Chetumal Bay, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

A Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) spreads its wings while fishing in the mangroves. These migratory birds can be seen breeding and visiting the mangroves of the Caymans.

Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) coming into land in the mangroves of Bonaire. The flamingo is the national symbol of Bonaire, where the iconic species breed and attract tourists.

Symbiotic links between coastal ecosystems, “college students from North Sulawesi undertake a zonation exercise, discovering the close relationships between mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrasses.”

A local fisherman casts his net in the white-flowered mangroves (Lumnitzera racemosa) of Bau Ca Cai, an area allocated to local people to protect. Alex Cao wrote: "I took this photo in late autumn when the trees had lost their leaves, highlighting the connection between vulnerable communities and nature."

This aerial illustrates how changes in conditions, such as wave heights and direction, storm strength, and salt content, are affecting the health of mangrove forests.

Devastation of mangroves from above. Once full of life, the mangroves of the Yucatan in Mexico were destroyed by a passing hurricane.

What will the effects of plastic have on the survival of mangrove ecosystems?  “Plastic pollution in the mangroves close to Panama can leave the forest floor completely covered.”

Mangrove habitats make way for aquaculture and salt production on the northern coast of Brazil. Despite the laws that protect the mangroves in Brazil, the impact on biodiversity and the coastal landscape is practically irreversible.

"Local volunteers work hard in the mud trying to re-establish the water flow in the mangrove ecosystem; here by cutting bricks of solidified mud and roots. If hydrology and water circulation become cut off, it becomes a major threat to the habitat." 

The struggles of the people in a world disappearing in front of them. The Sundarbans in Bangladesh are affected every year by increased natural disasters and rising tidal waves. The Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, is a direct victim of a warming climate.