Runner-up; Hon Yen marine ecosystem. Phu Yen, Vietnam. Every year between May and August, the coral of this rich and diverse ecosystem becomes exposed at low tide. (Photo by Truong Hoai Vu/Royal Society of Biology Photography Competition)

An aerial view shows boats sailing in the marshes of Chibayish in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province on February 8, 2025. (Photo by Asaad Niazi/AFP Photo)

A man plays in front of a wave crashing into Beirut's Corniche, a seaside promenade, as high winds sweep through Lebanon ahead of an impending storm January 6, 2015. (Photo by Jamal Saidi/Reuters)

Cast members Ryan Hansen, Kristen Bell, and Jason Dohring (L-R) pose at the premiere of “Veronica Mars” in Hollywood, California in this March 12, 2014 file photo. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

An excavator removes a dead bear at the zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia, June 17, 2015. Tigers, lions, bears and wolves were among more than 30 animals that escaped from a Georgian zoo and onto the streets of the capital Tbilisi on Sunday during floods that killed at least 12 people. REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili

Church members pray at the Dolieb Hill Presbyterian Church in the Protection of Civilians (POC) site at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) compound in Malakal, South Sudan on Saturday, July 9, 2016. (Photo by Jane Hahn/The Washington Post)

A pair of ice climbers have been snapped in front of a stunning aurora. Mike Stuart and Takeshi Tani were climbing the Athabasca Glacier in Alberta, Canada, when the aurora lit up the nights sky. They were photographed by famed night-time photographer Paul Zizka, who specialises in photographing auroras in some of Canadas most beautiful parks. (Photo by Paul Zizka/Caters News)

For her series “Japanese Whispers”, Belgian photographer Zaza Bertrand headed inside the intimate world of rabuhos – Japanese love hotels. Love hotels became popular in Japan from the 1960s onwards, due to a lack of privacy in many family homes. There are now around 37,000 of these hotels in Japan, allowing short daytime “rests” or overnight stays. (Photo by Zaza Bertrand/The Guardian)