Sritam Kumar Sethy Wins 2026 BMC Ecology and Evolution and BMC Zoology Image Competition
Sritam Kumar Sethy, a student from Berhampur University, secured victory in the 2026 joint image competition held by BMC Ecology and Evolution and BMC Zoology. His winning photograph, titled Window to the Wetlands, showcases an orange-tailed marsh dart damselfly captured in Odisha, India. This competition welcomed entries from ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and zoologists worldwide across three categories. Jennifer Harman, the editor for both journals, emphasized that the winning photograph underscores the significance of wetlands, which account for 6% of the Earth's surface yet are home to 40% of all species. Other notable winners included Ryan Wagner (runner-up) and category winners Victor Huertas, Liam Brennan, and Allen Tian. More information can be found on the journals' website.
Key facts
- Sritam Kumar Sethy won the overall prize for Window to the Wetlands, a photo of an orange-tailed marsh dart damselfly (Ceriagrion cerinorubellum) taken in a freshwater wetland in the Balasore district of Odisha, India.
- The 2026 competition was hosted jointly by the journals BMC Ecology and Evolution and BMC Zoology and was open to researchers at all career stages and across disciplines.
- Categories included relationships in nature, protecting our planet, and research in action.
- Jennifer Harman, editor of both journals, said the winning photo highlights wetlands as among the world's most threatened and rapidly disappearing habitats.
- According to the United Nations, wetlands cover 6% of the Earth's surface but support 40% of all plant and animal species, and 35% of the world's wetlands have been lost in the last 50 years.
- Ryan Wagner was overall runner-up for Space for Frogs.
- Category winners were Victor Huertas (relationships in nature), Liam Brennan (research in action), and Allen Tian (protecting our planet).
- Highly commended images included works by Brandon Güell, Vineet Kumar, and Luke Jeffrey.
Entities
Artists
- Sritam Kumar Sethy
- Ryan Wagner
- Victor Huertas
- Liam Brennan
- Allen Tian
- Alwin Hardenbol
- Brandon Güell
- Vineet Kumar
- Luke Jeffrey
- Jennifer Harman
- Abhijeet Bayani
Institutions
- BMC Ecology and Evolution
- BMC Zoology
- Berhampur University
- United Nations
- My Modern Met
- Springer Nature
- Washington State University
- James Cook University
- Natural Resource Institute in Finland
- University of New Brunswick
- Florida International University
- MES Abasaheb Garware College
Locations
- Balasore district
- Odisha
- India
- Portland
- Oregon
- United States
- Australia
- Finland
- Atlantic Canada
- Everglades National Park
- India's western coast