Tanya Houppermans took the best photo. She was named Mangrove Photographer of the Year for her close-up shot of a American crocodile, entitled Guardian of the Mangroves. She recorded it in the Jardines De La Reina in Cuba.
Winner selected from more than 2000 photos
The Mangrove Action Project, which works to preserve the mangrove ecosystem, had announced the photo competition with various categories for the eighth time. An international jury selected the winners from more than 2000 entries from 68 countries. According to a press release about the competition, the photos are an impressive reminder of the importance of the mangroves for biodiversity along the coasts.
Mangroves include around 70 different tree and shrub species worldwide. Water temperatures above 20 degrees are ideal for them. According to the website of the environmental protection organization WWF, there is no such thing as a mangrove. But all plants share the ability to survive in saline water as well as on flooded ground. The result is plants and forests that seem almost enchanted with their large roots between the water. Above all, mangroves are one thing: habitat for numerous animal species. Young animals in particular find protection in the roots.
Sources: Mangrove Action Project, WWF