The Environmental Photographer of the Year has once again delivered an awe-inspiring collection of images that reflect both the breathtaking beauty of nature and the urgent need to protect it. Now in its fifth year, the award is run by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and hosted on Photocrowd.com. The mission is to raise awareness about environmental protection. This year’s edition received nearly 10,000 entries and offered an €11,000 prize pool, alongside a touring exhibition and published book showcasing the winning work.

Taking the Grand Prize—and also winning the Ocean Worlds category—is Unseen Unsung Heroes by Spanish photographer and marine biologist Angel Fitor. His mesmerizing shot shows plumes of sand being expelled by burrowing worms in a Mediterranean seagrass bed. While these worms may seem insignificant, their impact is immense.

“As members of the endofauna – a huge, diverse community adapted to underground life at sea – these burrowing worms play a pivotal role in maintaining oxygen and nutrient circulation in the upper layer of sediment on the seabed, an activity that generates an entire ecosystem hidden under the substrate. All the seagrass beds along the world’s coasts, the riches of coastal estuaries and deep-water muddy beds, and the vast biodiversity associated with soft-bottom sea floors rely on the existence of these little-known worms. Their collective silent action thus has a massive impact on a global scale.

On location, it was impossible to predict when the worms would be active. Some seemed dormant, others flushed for just a few minutes a day, while others were active throughout the day, but with an unpredictable frequency. This photo is the result of two month’s work, with twenty dives of five hours each, at a depth of eight metres.”

Angel’s image is the product of extraordinary patience and dedication: two months of work, twenty-five-hour dives at a depth of eight meters, and countless hours observing the unpredictable rhythms of these elusive creatures.

The award also celebrates stories of resilience and hope. Angel’s second winning image, Training Day, captured in a Spanish recovery center, depicts a baby loggerhead sea turtle—part of a conservation program aiming to improve hatchling survival rates. It won the Change Makers: Reasons for Hope category.

This year’s award spans five themed categories, each illustrating a different dimension of the environmental narrative:

• Ocean Worlds
• Polar Wonders
• Into the Forest
• Humanity vs Nature
• Change Makers: Reasons for Hope

Additionally, the contest includes a Public Vote winner and a Monaco Student Vote, allowing broader participation in celebrating these stunning visual stories.

Whether they explore remote polar realms or the quiet triumphs of conservation, these photos remind us that behind every ecosystem are often unsung heroes—be they microscopic worms, resilient animals, or dedicated humans striving to protect them.

Take a look at the category winners and runner-ups below. To view the full gallery and dive deeper into the stories behind each image, visit the Environmental Photography Award website.