Going through mangroves will make you feel like a pirate slowly navigating through the trees looking for a hidden treasure. You look down at the water and you don’t know if you’re brave enough to put your hand in it in case some strange monster might rip it off. The truth is a lot less adventurous.
Mangroves forests grow in salt water and can be found in tropical and subtropical coastlines, offering many benefits to biodiversity. It can be a nursery for fish that will lay their eggs in the mangrove waters until the next generation is ready to head to the big blue where they will be a lot more vulnerable. According to the National Geographic Society, up to one third of all marine fish species stay within the mangroves until they reach adulthood, especially to avoid predators.
Where can you find mangroves? Mangrove trees grow where waves are not as strong which allows sediments to settle, facilitating the growth of the trees. It also allows to create a perfect habitat for insects, birds, fish, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. It is like the New York City of fish! Imagine high mangrove tree roots as skyscrapers, hundreds of fish of different colours, a high variety of food and traffic, a lot of animal traffic!
Even though the water in the mangroves is very salty, the trees have a way of evacuate the excess of salt by the top layer of their leaves. Other mangrove trees transfer the excess of salt to the dying leaves. Genius isn’t it?
Mangroves avoid erosion and create a perfect environment for reproduction and feeding. They also protect against hurricanes and tsunamis. They play an essential role in the stability of the landscape and of the atmosphere as they can absorb up to four times more carbon than our forests. However, mangroves are slowly disappearing because of exploitation and intensive shrimp farming. Rising sea levels can also affect the mangroves as they need their exposed roots to take in oxygen. According to the marine biologist Octavio Aburto, the planet has already lost half of its mangroves worldwide, creating a more fragile environment for animals but also for mankind.
At MANOA we always say that to understand the importance of climate change it is important to first understand how everything works and how our planet produces what we need to breath and eat. Mangroves can resist against hurricanes but not intensive farming. They create a safe place for fish and therefore economic benefits for locals living around mangroves. The bigger and healthier the mangrove, the better the fishing.
So you might feel like a pirate navigating through the mysterious waters of the mangroves but what you will find under your boat is not a big monster. You will find a huge habitat for many fish, crustaceans, mammals, reptiles, etc. allowing them to reproduce and feed avoiding predators. Mangroves, just like our oceans, absorb a huge quantity of carbon dioxide and therefore, help avoid greenhouse effect. So stand up me hearties, yo ho, and help preserve our planet’s mangroves.
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