Mangrove forests form an integral part of the natural landscape of the region and the UAE is home to several of these beautiful places.
The Mangrove Photography Awards, in partnership with Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, have an Emirates Award category to celebrate photos that showcase the beauty of the country's mangroves.
This year's entries feature stunning photos from Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah.
The overall winner, Where Life Converges, by Shyjith Onden Cheriyath, captures the mangroves of Ras Al Khaimah at dawn. The visual highlights tidal channels framed by the Hajar Mountains and a dusky skyline, a tribute to the resilience of an ecosystem that protects coastlines, supports biodiversity and stores carbon.
In runner-up position is The Urban Shield: Abu Dhabi’s Blueprint for Coastal Coexistence, by Ranjith PG. The photo captures an undisturbed moment celebrating Arabian wildlife in the capital – a mother Arabian sand gazelle sheltering her fawn in the coastal brush of Saadiyat's mangroves.
On the highly commended list is Veins of Life, by Ahmed Badwan, an aerial view of a mangrove forest where the golden hour-light traces the winding tidal channels and shows off the vast landscape of the coastal wetlands.
Reflections of Togetherness, by Rithved Girishkumar, is also highly commended – a stunning portrait of two flamingos mirroring each other in the still waters.
The Green Shield, by Ranjith PG, which highlights Abu Dhabi's skyline seen from Saadiyat Island at high tide, also highly commended. The slow shutter speed allows the wind to blur the mangrove canopy into gentle motion as the crescent moon rises over the city.
Over in the Arabian Gulf Award category, finalists capture the mangroves in all their quiet complexity. Intimate portraits of the wildlife sheltering within and dense coastal forests seen from above and across the Gulf are featured.
Where the Mangroves Breathe, by Abdullah Alsheikh, is the winner. Showcasing an aerial view over Saudi Arabia's coastline at low tide, where dense mangrove forest meets tidal flats carved by the sea – a hidden landscape of natural coastal protection is seen across a sweeping landscape.
The runner-up award in this category goes to The White Wings in the Safe Haven, by Fatimah Ahmad Alsayegh, which shows a great egret settling into the mangroves of Tarout Island in the Arabian Gulf.
First on the list of highly commended is Veins of the Tides by Abdullah Alsheikh – an image, seen from above, in which a tidal channel cuts like a living vein through Saudi Arabia's mangrove coastline. It is described as nature's own abstract painting, shaped entirely by water, sediment and time.
The highly commended list includes Grace Among the Waste, by Abdulla Alkoheji – a white heron reflected in the water, standing among plastic tangled in the roots of a habitat that could disappear if neglected.
Journey Through the Mangroves, by Majid Obaid Saad Al Amri, takes us through Oman’s mangroves, with colourful kayaks meandering through the landscape.
Mangrove Mirrors, by Qasim Ahmad Alsayegh, is also highly commended. A black-winged stilt stares at its reflection in the waters of Tarout Island's mangroves – a serene moment that captures the beauty of the bird within its sanctuary.
