Mangroves may not be the first thing you picture when you think 'forest', but mangroves are incredible, unique ecosystems that serve as a kind of structural and water-quality coastguard. And while mangrove forests make up about 0.1 percent of the planet's surface, they can store up to 10 times more carbon than terrestrial forests. So, they're incredibly important.
Celebrating the unique, often otherworldly nature of this aquatic forest and the life-support it provides for a diverse range of species, the winners of the ninth annual Mangrove Photography Awards beautifully capture the wonder of these pneumatophore-peppered landscapes.
The overall winner was Soham Bhattacharyya, who photographed a young Royal Bengal tigress in the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve in India - it's a stunning portrait of the only tiger adapted to live in a mangrove forest. For this and a handful more of OGN's favourites, see below. If you wish to take look at all 46 winning shots, head to Mangrove Photography Awards 2023.
The young gold-spotted mudskipper (Periophthalmus chrysospilos) below was snapped in Samut Sakorn province in Thailand.
The camouflaged character below is a common potoo (Nyctibius griseus), doing its best to pretend it's part of the furniture in order to guard the nest.
Want to see more amazing photos? Check out OGN's Photography archives.