A selection of the winning images from this year’s competition across topics ranging from underwater to urban wildlife, and photojournalism to mammal behaviour. The overall winner is Federico Veronesi of Italy for his powerful image of an elephant carrying a dead calf
The winning photographs will be showcased at the Natural History Museum in London from 16 October 2026 until July 2027
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
10/14/2026 - 02:00
Declining stocks and increased fishing pressure have led to lower sustainability ratings for two popular cod alternatives
UK shoppers have previously been urged to avoid UK-caught cod and to buy European hake or coley instead – but now these fish are in trouble, too.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), an environmental charity, publishes its Good Fish Guide to help consumers and businesses make sustainable seafood choices. It uses a traffic-light system to rate seafood according to the health of fish stocks and environmental impact.
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10/14/2026 - 02:00
Citizen scientists on UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme recorded insect visits to flowers during 10-minute surveys
Ubiquitous urban plants often derided as “weeds” are the most attractive to pollinating insects.
The autumn blooms of common ivy, rich in pollen and nectar, are the most visited by insects including bees and butterflies, according to an eight-year study.
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10/14/2026 - 01:00
Golf clubs, private schools and car washes may face tighter rules from water companies as England’s drought continues
Three water companies are seeking to impose severe restrictions on businesses as the drought continues across most of England, putting rivers and wildlife under huge pressure.
Golf clubs and private schools could be barred from using mains water to irrigate playing fields and courses, and commercial car washes stopped from operating, under “non-essential use bans” being sought by the companies.
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10/13/2026 - 20:58
Federal court overrules decision by former environment minister for the McPhillamys goldmine development at Blayney
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The federal court has overturned a rare protection order issued by former environment minister Tanya Plibersek under Indigenous heritage legislation, which the company said effectively blocked a goldmine in the central west of New South Wales.
Regis Resources challenged the decision by the former minister to issue the order in 2024 under section 10 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act.
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10/13/2026 - 10:08
Nearly half of species are in decline, with farmland birds and seabirds the worst hit, conservation bodies say
Wild bird populations in the UK have fallen to their lowest level since records began, figures show, with nearly half of species in decline.
Figures produced by leading nature conservation bodies for the government show that average populations across 132 native breeding species fell by 19% between 1970 and 2025, with farmland birds and seabirds the worst hit in recent years.
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10/13/2026 - 09:00
Rescuers respond to surge in callouts for the vulnerable bat species, which usually feeds on blossoms and tree nectar
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Flying foxes are starving en masse across New South Wales and parts of Victoria, with wildlife rescuers responding to a surge in reports of “exhausted and emaciated” adults and skeletal pups.
Most reports involved grey-headed flying foxes, listed as vulnerable under federal environment laws and which usually feed on the blossoms and nectar of native trees.
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10/13/2026 - 07:44
Hundreds of people displaced in Bangka Belitung with conditions described as worst in a decade with wildlife also badly hit
A forest fire on Indonesia’s Sumatra island fuelled by El Niño has razed nearly 300 homes, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate, an official has said, as the country battles devastating blazes and haze.
Residents first spotted the fire approaching their village in Bangka Belitung province on Saturday and tried to put it out themselves with portable water pumps, said the head of South Bangka regency, Riza Herdavid.
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10/13/2026 - 07:00
Team works to restore the sunflower sea star as 95% of these key underwater ecosystems have been decimated along the Pacific coast in past decade
Off the coast of Monterey, California, a team of researchers is gearing up for its first dive of the day into the cold and choppy waters of the Pacific Ocean.
On the back deck of the boat, Ashley Kidd, a co-founder of the non-profit Sunflower Star Laboratory, gave the divers their final command: “Dive No 1 … stars in the water.”
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10/13/2026 - 04:00
When populations fall, fledglings can struggle to learn the right notes to attract mates. But research on how birds communicate offers hope for species’ survival
Listening to birdsong is one of life’s great joys, but when researchers heard a particular tune emerging from a tree in a Buenos Aires park, they were especially jubilant. This arrangement was among those chirped by the local rufous-collared sparrows in the 1960s, but had since disappeared from the area.
That was until scientists created a computer-generated rendition, curious to find out if birds might consider it realistic enough to imitate. Less than three months later, a local avian resident began to copy parts of the song.
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