Mangrove Award Winner Exposes Ghost Nets

Gaurav Patil, an Indian marine biologist and photographer, won the 2026 Mangrove Photographer of the Year with “Tangled glow: When life meets the ruins,” a nighttime UV-lit image of ghost fishing nets entangled in a Maharashtra mangrove near Nandgaon that highlights the growing problem of ghost gear. The photo, shot with a 13-second exposure, draws attention to nets that degrade into microplastics, threaten mangrove ecosystems, and disrupt coastal communities. The Mangrove Photography Awards emphasize the resilience and fragility of mangroves, which provide coastal protection, carbon storage, and livelihoods, while facing threats from ghost nets, rising seas, aquaculture, and development. Patil’s win and his documentation aim to raise public awareness and drive conservation action, with the overall contest also featuring diverse category winners and conservation stories from around the world. The coverage across outlets notes the global scale of mangrove ecosystems, the urgency of protecting them, and the role of photography in revealing environmental crises. Overall, the stories converge on a single message: ghost nets are a pervasive, preventable threat to mangroves and wildlife, warranting urgent attention and action.