British Ecological Society Announces 2025 Capturing Ecology Photo Contest Winners
The British Ecological Society has revealed the winners of its 2025 Capturing Ecology photography competition, highlighting exceptional images from ecologists and photographers worldwide.
The British Ecological Society has announced the winners of its 2025 Capturing Ecology photography competition, showcasing outstanding images from ecologists and photographers across the globe.
The overall winner is Zeke Rowe, a PhD candidate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, for his photograph of an American crocodile in Panama's Coiba National Park. The image captures the crocodile staring directly into the camera, with horseflies feeding on its snout. Rowe took the photo during a break from his research, getting as close and low as he dared in a tidal marsh.
In addition to the overall winner, the competition recognized winners in eight categories: Animals, Plants and Fungi, Interactions, Ecologists in Action, People and Nature, Nature, Food and Farming, Mobile Ecology, and Up Close. An Ecologists’ Choice Award was also selected by attendees at the British Ecological Society’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Edinburgh.
Professor Melanie Austen, President of the British Ecological Society, commented on the competition's significance: "The incredible images in this year’s Capturing Ecology are a perfect demonstration of how photography can transport us around the world, allowing us to glimpse the everyday wonders and dramatic moments of ecology."
The competition received over 1,100 submissions from more than 80 countries across all seven continents, reflecting the global interest and diversity in ecological photography.
The British Ecological Society's Capturing Ecology competition continues to highlight the beauty and complexity of the natural world through the lens of talented photographers and ecologists worldwide.
