Behind every photo, there is a story. So in these images below, let us tell you a story about mangroves and their importance to our ecosystems.
During the annual Mangrove Photography Awards, photographers all over the world are encouraged to participate by showcasing and uncovering the secret worlds of mangroves.
It is a great opportunity to put mangroves in the spotlight and have a way to observe the value that they provide to our ecosystems. As written on the Nasa earth observatory page: "Mangrove forests are typically made up of trees, shrubs, and palms that have adapted to the harsh conditions and they are fertile nurseries for many marine species, and also serve as the first line of defense against hurricanes and tsunamis by dissipating wave and wind energy."
The aim of the Mangrove Action Project is to illustrate the importance and diversity of life in our coastal forests and engage audiences in mangrove issues and stories whilst inspiring people to take conservation action.
#21 Different Perspective - Hamid Rad, Indonesia
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).
26points
#22 Winner Of Mangroves And Stories: Mangrove Restoration Project In Bonaire - Lorenzo Mittiga, Netherlands Antilles
"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."
25points
#23 Mangrove Dweller - Joe Daniels, Mauritius
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.
25points
#24 French Grunts - Lorenzo Mittiga, Netherlands Antilles
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.
24points
#25 A Local Woman Plants Mangrove Saplings - Sankhadeep Banerjee, India
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.
21points
#26
"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."
21points
#27 Source Of Little Water - Meharab Hossain, Bangladesh
Women from Gabura Union in the Sundarbans collect water. Coastal villages have to rely on rainwater or freshwater ponds for safe drinking water.
20points
#28 Mangrove Tourism - Janos Leo G. Andanar, Philippines
Boats dock on the edge of Del Carmen waiting to take tourists into the protected and preserved mangroves of Siargao Island.
19points
#29 Livelihood - Rajesh Dhar, India
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.
16points
#30 Attack Of Caterpillars - Christophe Mason Parker, Seychelles
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.
15points
