Entries open for Mangrove Photography Awards

Judged by some of the world’s leading conservationists and photographers, the competition offers a powerful platform to share the story of mangroves, their wildlife, and the people whose lives depend on these delicate ecosystems.

Now is the chance to raise your voice – and lens – for the protection of one of the most critical and undervalued ecosystems.

Award Categories

• Single Image Entry:
  • Wildlife: Celebrating animals in mangroves worldwide, above the waterline. This includes images of unique animal behavior in trees and on land, rarely seen species, and micro scale organisms, that convey the vital connection between mangroves and their inhabitants. Wildlife subcategories:
    • Birds
    • Mammals
    • Other Species
  • People: Revealing intimate relationships between people and mangrove forests. This includes images illustrating traditional connections with coastal communities and positive conservation efforts. People subcategories:
    • Livelihoods
    • Conservation & Restoration
  • Landscape: Captivating images exploring the diversity of the globe’s mangroves, from expansive landscapes to the detail of individual flora. Images may include unseen angles, patterns, close-ups, and creative perspectives. Landscapes subcategories:
    • From the Air
    • On the Ground
    • Black and White
  • Underwater: Showcasing the hidden world of mangroves below the water line, uncovering the diversity of aquatic life. Split-shots may be submitted to expose relationships with other elements of mangrove ecosystems.
  • Threats: Investigating the current issues that threaten the coastal ecosystems. This includes human impact and extreme natural events that are causing increasing pressure on these vital forests.
• Portfolio Entry:
  • Conservation Stories: Portfolio image category showcasing a long-held commitment to mangrove conservation through a striking collection of six images. A total of six images must be submitted. Submissions may include images taken at any time during the photographer’s career, including award-winning images, and should prioritize emotional storytelling.

Prize Information

• Overall winner: one overall winner will be selected across all categories and awarded the grand prize of $750 cash and the title of Mangrove Photographer of the Year.
• Category awards: one winner of each category or subcategory will be selected. Winners will be awarded $500 cash.
• Young Mangrove Photographer of the Year: one overall winner will be selected across all categories and awarded the grand prize of $250 cash and the title of Young Mangrove Photographer of the Year.
• Finalists: up to six finalists in each single-image category and subcategory, will receive a Mangrove Photography Awards Certificate of Recognition.
• People’s Choice Award: one overall winner will be voted for members of the public on Instagram and awarded $250 cash.
• The Emirates Award: one overall winner will be selected across all categories by our panel of judges and regional partner, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi. The winner will be awarded $500 cash.
• The Arabian Gulf Award: One overall winner will be selected across all categories by our panel of judges and regional partner, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi. The winner will be awarded $500 cash.

Eligibility Criteria

• You can submit a total of 12 photos to the Mangrove Photography Awards, across multiple categories.
• You can enter into as many categories as you wish.
• You can enter up to 6 photos per submission form.
• Up to 6 photos can be entered across the five single-image categories.
• For the Conservation Stories portfolio category, you must submit a series of 6 images.
• All submissions must be photographs (accepted file types: JPG, PNG, or TIFFS).
• The maximum file size per image is 4MB. Submissions should be in high resolution.
• Submissions must be free of borders, watermarks, or signatures.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Images that have received an award in a previous Mangrove Photography Awards should not be entered.

For more information, visit Mangrove Action Project.