Editor’s Note: Call to Earth is a CNN edited series that promises to report on the environmental challenges the planet faces, along with solutions. Rolex’s Permanent Planet Initiative is partnering with CNN to promote awareness and education on key sustainability issues and encourage positive action.
CNN
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A herd of Roseate Spoonville fly overhead as the shark hunts the mullet below. The waters of the Everglades wetlands in Florida are turquoise and calm. But the mild image tells the larger story of a bright pink spoonville, increasingly rare due to rising sea levels and the loss of habitat foraging mangroves foraging for fish.
The memorable photographs taken by Mark Ian Cook won the Grand Prize at the 2025 Mangrove Photography Awards.
“It clearly illustrates the diversity of life that dies vividly and dying in both the air and aquatic space, both in the air and in the aquatic world,” he said in a press release from photojournalist and marine biologist Srirachai “Singh” Arunragstichie.
The award is in its 11th year and aims to raise awareness of mangrove forests (salt-tolerant trees that live where freshwater meets saltwater). It can be found in over 120 countries around the world. This year, we received 3,303 record entries from 78 countries.
“The goal of the Mangrove Photography Awards is to attract and inspire viewers around the world,” Leo Thom, creative director and founder of the award, told CNN. “We want to uncover the beauty and complexity of mangrove ecosystems, and most importantly, to induce emotional connections that lead to conservation behaviour on the ground.”
Mangroves are carbon sinks, which serve as natural barriers to flooding, and are key to combating climate change as they provide habitat for endangered animals like tigers and jaguars.
But they are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world. According to the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, more than half of the world’s mangroves are at risk of collapse by 2050.
“Despite its importance, mangroves are still overlooked,” Tom said. “Unlike iconic ecosystems such as the Amazon rainforest, mangroves are often misunderstood and are considered mosquito-stained marsh and wastelands.
“This is where photography becomes a powerful tool for change. It provides a window into the real story of mangroves,” he added.
One of the award categories is dedicated to mangrove threats. The victory image taken by Tom Quinny shows a mountain of waste towering over a depleted mangrove forest in southern Bali, Indonesia. Runner-ups in the same category depict horseshoe-shaped crabs entangled in fishing nets, mangrove forests transformed for shrimp farming.
Other famous images show that people rely on mangrove forests for their livelihoods. The series of photos depicts a woman collecting honeycombs in Sundarban, the world’s largest mangrove forest, mostly in Bangladesh. Sea level rise, salinity, and more extreme cyclones are damaging forests and replacing communities.
The image “discovers complex relationships and vibrant biodiversity, demonstrating deep human connections within coastal communities.
“(It’s) more than a contest,” he added. “It’s an invitation to observe, feel and learn. It’s a platform for photographers to talk about one of the most important yet misunderstood ecosystems in the world.”
