After receiving an inspiring array of submissions from across the world, from the Netherlands to China, Brazil, Mexico, and beyond, the organizing committee of the “Coastal Visions” Global Coastal Photography Award is thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s competition.
Jointly launched by Future Earth Coasts (FEC), the Mega-Delta Programme of the UN Ocean Decade, and CROSS Coastz of the UN Science Decade, this global initiative invited photographers, scientists, and citizens to capture the vitality and future of coasts through their lens. Each image tells a story of coexistence between people and the sea, the dynamic power of nature, and the urgent need to sustain our coastal environments.
After careful review and deliberation, here are the winners of the 2025 “Coastal Visions” Award:
🥇1st Place
- Title: Coastal Energy
Author: Roos Daemen
Date Taken: September 15, 2025
Location: Scheveningen, The Netherlands - Description: Scheveningen, one of the Netherlands’ most iconic beaches, comes alive under powerful gusts of 50 km/h. As windsurfers and kitesurfers embrace the raw energy of the sea, the scene captures humanity’s enduring dialogue with nature—absorbing, adapting, and harmonizing with its force.
- Title: Tidal Trace
Author: Xiang Qiu
Date Taken: August 28, 2024
Location: Sunshine Coast Greenway, Rizhao, Shandong Province, China - Description: When the tide recedes, a magnificent tree-like pattern emerges on the sand—nature’s artwork shaped by tidal and land flows. “Tide” and “Trace” together symbolize movement, memory, and reflection, offering endless space for imagination and interpretation.
🥈 2nd Place
- Title: Facing the Storm
Author: Matilde Stolfa
Location: Wadden Sea, The Netherlands - Description: Part of the “Shifting Tides” series, this photo captures scientists conducting fieldwork in the Dutch Wadden Sea as a storm approach. It’s a tribute to the perseverance behind climate and ecological research—where data begins with dedication in the field.
- Title: Christmas
Author: Matteo Convertino
Location: Kouri Island, Okinawa, Japan - Description: A close-up of a Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) reveals the dazzling hues of marine life—a vivid testament to the beauty and health of coral ecosystems.
- Title: Tree and Floating Boat
Author: Li Yang
Location: Bailique Archipelago, Amazon River Estuary, Brazil - Description: A solitary tree reaches for the sky as two boats rest quietly offshore—an image evoking the poetic stillness of “a boat idling by the wild ferry,” merging field research with natural serenity.
🥉 3rd Place
- Title: Enquanto a COP não vem (While COP Hasn’t Come Yet)
Author: Isadora Timbó
Location: Belém do Pará, Brazil - Description: Amid daily coastal life, fishing boats tell stories of resilience and heritage. As global climate talks unfold elsewhere, these communities continue to adapt—living the challenges and hopes of climate change firsthand.
- Title: Ephemeral Tidal Landscape
Author: María del Refugio Muciño Reyes
Location: Dzilam de Bravo, Yucatán, México - Description: Patterns formed by seagrass remnants along the shore reveal the rhythm of the tides—ephemeral marks that embody the sea’s continuous shaping of the coastal world.
- Title: Boundary
Author: Qinzi Cheng
Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, USA - Description: This image of California’s eroded arches captures the dynamic interplay of waves, rock, and life—where erosion and renewal compose a coastal symphony between nature and humanity.
- Title: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Author: Yuan Xiong
Location: Mai Po, Hong Kong, China - Description: Rain-drenched mangroves envelop a tranquil waterway, their deep green hues forming a living gateway into the secret world of wetlands.
- Title: Double Rainbow
Author: Jiaheng Yuan
Location: Dongtan Wetland, Yangtze River Estuary, Shanghai, China - Description: A rare double rainbow stretches across the tidal flats—nature’s fleeting celebration of beauty and good fortune, captured during fieldwork in the estuary wetlands.
Honorable Mentions
- “A Change of Perspective Getting Closer to the Baltic Sea” by Chiara D’Agata
- “Red Saltmarsh” by Wenhao Hou
- “To the Horizon Where Sun Meets Sea” by Bentao Li
- “Make Room for Mangrove” by Peixian Li
- “Pages of the Intertidal Zone” by Xiaoyu Zhang
Congratulations to all our winners and heartfelt thanks to every participant who shared their vision of coastal life and resilience. Together, your works illuminate the beauty, complexity, and future of our global coasts.
Stay tuned for the “Coastal Visions” Global Coastal Photography Award Exhibition at the 4th Mega-Delta Meeting: International Conference on Dialogue between Land and Sea (October 19-22, Shanghai, China), featuring the showcased works of our award winners.
