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Mangrove Photos Reveal Hidden Worlds: Tigers, Dolphins, Ghost Nets
27 Aug
Summary
- Award-winning photography showcases unique mangrove wildlife behaviors.
- Mangroves protect coastlines and store significant amounts of carbon.
- Ghost nets in mangroves pose a hazard to wildlife, as shown in winning photo.
The 2026 Mangrove Photography Awards have unveiled stunning images that capture the unique wildlife and delicate balance of mangrove ecosystems. These coastal forests, where tropical flora meets saltwater, are vital habitats for diverse species.
Photographs from the competition showcase remarkable creatures and behaviors. A juvenile royal Bengal tiger was pictured in India's Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. In Florida Bay, bottlenose dolphins employ a rare mud-ring hunting strategy to catch mullet.
The overall winner of the competition was an image of a hidden ghost net glowing under ultraviolet light, entangled in a mangrove south of Mumbai, India. This highlights the significant threat discarded fishing gear poses to marine life.
Mangroves are found in over 100 countries and provide essential services. They act as crucial nursery habitats for commercially important fish, support biodiversity in adjacent ecosystems like coral reefs, and store five times more carbon than land-based forests.
These vital ecosystems face considerable threats from pollution, deforestation for agriculture and coastal development, and climate change impacts. Despite these challenges, global mangrove cover has seen a net increase between 1985 and 2025, offering a glimmer of hope for their future.
