International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem – 2021

This year we celebrated International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem with a photo competition. We were overwhelmed with all the beautiful photos everyone entered from all across the Indian Ocean, thank you to everyone that entered.

We asked for your favourite mangrove related photos. Entries can include landscapes, pictures taken of you conducting mangrove field research, aerial drone photos or even photos from the water.

Our winners below fell into three categories:

Resilience
Future
Community

Resilience Credit: Susantha Udagedara, Jaffna Lagoon, Sri Lanka

Mangroves provide employment, food security and coastal protection for millions of people globally. Historical losses mean that active restoration has never been more important. This mangrove sapling growing on an artificial rock is an illustration of how resilient they can be.

Future Credit: Yeti Kurniasari, Indonesia

This photo illustrates the importance of the next generation. A young child shown in a mangrove forest reminds us why action is critical.

Community Credit: Kasun Nuwarapaksha, Sri Lanka

Historical losses mean that active restoration has never been more important. This photo shows how local communities are partnering with government organisations to improve restoration outcomes.