Mangrove Award Winner Exposes Ghost Nets

Gaurav Patil’s photograph Tangled glow: When life meets the ruins won the 2026 Mangrove Photography Awards, portraying a ghost fishing net glowing amid a Maharashtra mangrove to spotlight the growing crisis of ghost gear. The award underscores the broader threats to mangroves—from discarded nets to rising seas and development—and aims to raise awareness and conservation action worldwide.