Gaurav Patil Wins 2026 Mangrove Photography Awards with Ghost Net Image
The Mangrove Action Project (MAP) has announced Gaurav Patil as the Overall Winner of the 2026 Mangrove Photography Awards for his striking photograph titled 'Tangled glow: When life meets the ruins,' which features a ghost net entangled in a mangrove tree in India. In its 12th edition, the competition attracted 5,258 submissions from 87 nations. Notable category winners include Mark Ian Cook (Wildlife, Birds) for 'March of the Flamingos' taken in Florida, Evan Cooper (Wildlife, Other Species) for capturing a juvenile green turtle in the Bahamas, and Ewan Tregarot (Underwater) for his image of grey snappers in Bonaire. These awards emphasize the delicate beauty of mangroves, known to sequester up to five times more carbon than terrestrial forests.
Key facts
- Gaurav Patil won Overall Winner at the 2026 Mangrove Photography Awards.
- Winning image 'Tangled glow: When life meets the ruins' shows a ghost net in a mangrove in India.
- The awards are hosted by the Mangrove Action Project (MAP).
- The contest received 5,258 entries from 87 countries.
- Category winners include Mark Ian Cook, Evan Cooper, Ewan Tregarot, Lucas Gonçalves Garcias, Kallol Mukherjee, Ryuhei Suguri, Garry Lotulung, Zafer Kizilkaya, Roosevelt Cassio, Abijith Soman, and Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn.
- Mangroves absorb up to five times more carbon than terrestrial forests.
- The 2026 awards mark the 12th year of the competition.
- Ghost nets are discarded fishing nets that become trapped in mangroves, creating hidden garbage hotspots.
Entities
Artists
- Gaurav Patil
- Mark Ian Cook
- Evan Cooper
- Ewan Tregarot
- Lucas Gonçalves Garcias
- Kallol Mukherjee
- Ryuhei Suguri
- Garry Lotulung
- Zafer Kizilkaya
- Roosevelt Cassio
- Abijith Soman
- Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn
- Ashok Behera
- Kerron Noel
- Nicoló Brugnara
- Vladimir Borzykin
- Jake Stout
- Avijit Ghorai
- Nicolò Brugnara
- Mark Kevin Badayos
- Dmitry Ivanov
- Valentina Cucchiara
- Raj Hassanaly
- Erfan Samanfar
- Marcus Kuan
- Pelayo Salinas de León
- Leo Thom
- Dhritiman Mukherjee
- Morgan Heim
- Guarav Patil
Institutions
- Mangrove Action Project
- Mangrove Photography Awards
- UNESCO
- International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Smithsonian Magazine
- PetaPixel
- Emirates Award
- Arabian Gulf Award
- UNESCO Award
Locations
- India
- United States
- Florida
- Bahamas
- Netherlands Antilles
- Bonaire
- Brazil
- Recife
- Indonesia
- Central Java
- Bangladesh
- Sundarbans
- Kerala
- Nandgaon village
- Maharashtra
- Mumbai
- Lac Bay
- Java
- Demak
- Rejosari Senik
- Bedono village
- Thailand
- Caroni bird sanctuary
- Caroni swamp
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Versova Koliwada
- Charkop
- Turzon Point
- Sargasso Sea
- Sundarban tiger reserve
- Florida Bay
- Tejipió River
- Ilha de Deus
- Cuba
- Jardines de la Reina
- Nandgaon
- Philippines
- Caroni Bird Sanctuary
- Mexico
- Caribbean
- Madagascar
- Iran
- Singapore
- Pasir Ris Park
- Galápagos
- Isabela Island
- Concha de Perla
- Sundarban Tiger Reserve
- Florida Keys
- Caroni Swamp
- Trinidad
- Bedono