Vlada Nikolchenko of Ukraine performs with the ribbon during the 36th European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, November 29, 2020. Athletes from 23 countries participate in the championship in Kyiv. (Photo by Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo)

Mortuary workers take off their protective clothing at the entrance of a building decorated with a Christmas tree, after removing the body of person who allegedly died of COVID-19 in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, December 23, 2020. (Photo by Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo)

A laborer is transporting used oil durms by a hand-pulled vehicle near Buriganga River in Dhaka on June 12, 2021. (Photo by Md Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Creative imagery, gold winner: Sprats and Bread, Ruediger Schulz, Germany. (Photo by Ruediger Schulz/2021 Bird Photographer of the Year)

American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo poses at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures gala in Los Angeles, California, U.S. September 25, 2021. (Photo by Ringo Chiu/Reuters)

A couple walks past a burning roadblock set up to protest against a recent kidnapping and shooting in the Petionville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti on November 1, 2021. (Photo by Adrees Latif/Reuters)

Palestinians react as they gather at the site of an explosion, following Israeli strikes in Gaza City on August 5, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

Guardian of the Mangroves – Overall Winner. Tanya Houppermans, Cuba. A curious American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) swims right up to Tanya, at Gardens of the Queen (Jardines De La Reina), an archipelago off the coast of Cuba. It has been strictly protected since 1996, and is one of the most untouched marine ecosystems in the world. ‍ “The healthy population of American crocodiles is down to the pristine condition of the mangroves and I wanted to capture close ups of this gentle giant in its natural habitat. I hope this image can illustrate that protecting areas like this is so critical”. (Photo by Tanya Griffin Houppermans/Mangrove Photographer of the Year)