The illustration was selected as one of the 100 finalists in the Sketch for Survival competition, exhibited at Oxo Tower Wharf in London, and on 18 November 2021 was awarded the Sketch for Survival Wild Spaces Artist of the Year Award at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

The judges commented:
"So much detail. Very topical. Love that the colour is only in the water, and it's beautifully done with lots of light and depth."

The award was presented during Explorers Against Extinction's Beyond & Below evening at the Royal Geographical Society. The event brought together explorers, conservationists, filmmakers and wildlife organisations to celebrate conservation through storytelling, with presentations by explorer Pip Stewart, wildlife filmmaker Philip Dalton, and representatives from the Manta Trust and The Gorilla Organization.

I was completely overwhelmed and incredibly grateful. To see an illustration created to raise awareness about the importance of mangroves travel so far, help support wildlife conservation, and receive such recognition was something I could never have imagined. It remains one of the most meaningful moments of my artistic journey. Mangroves are among the world's most valuable ecosystems. They protect coastlines from storms, provide essential nursery habitats for countless marine species, filter pollutants from the water, and store extraordinary amounts of carbon, often far more than tropical rainforests. Yet despite their importance, around half of the world's mangroves have disappeared over the past four decades, making their protection more urgent than ever.