These unique trees lead tough lives, but we’re all the better for it.
What are mangroves? Mangroves are tropical trees that thrive in conditions most trees could never tolerate — salty, coastal waters, and the interminable ebb and flow of the tide. Able to store vast amounts of planet-warming carbon, mangrove forests are critical climate allies, but they are under threat worldwide. If we can protect mangroves, we can help protect our climate.
Share these facts about mangroves:
How are mangroves different from other trees?
Unlike most trees, mangroves can grow directly in salty or brackish water.1 Their strategies for dealing with otherwise toxic levels of salinity vary. Some mangrove species secrete salt after it is absorbed, while others filter out salt from the surrounding seawater.2
How many different types of mangroves are there?
Though estimates vary, there are at least 50 — and maybe as many as 80 — mangrove species, ranging in height from small shrubs to trees that stand 40 meters (130 feet) above the water. All species thrive in low-oxygen, high-saline coastal environments.3,4
Why do fish love mangrove forests?
Mangroves, specifically the underwater habitat their roots provide, offer critical nursing environments for juveniles of many marine species, from tiny gobies to massive crocodiles.5
Where can you find mangroves?
Mangrove forests can be found on the coasts of more than 100 tropical and subtropical countries, totaling more than 140,000 square kilometers (54,000 square miles)6 — roughly the size of Greece or Arkansas.
Which country has the most mangroves?
The largest amount of mangrove coverage can be found in Indonesia, where mangrove trees cover some 31,000 square kilometers (about 12,000 square miles)7 — that’s more than twice the size of Jamaica, or roughly the size of Maryland.
Which state is home to much of the United States’ mangroves?
The United States has roughly 2,000 square kilometers (about 800 square miles) of mangroves7 — an area about four-fifths the size of Luxembourg — located almost entirely in southern Florida.
Mangroves have (carbon) hoarding issues
In a single square mile, mangroves hold as much carbon as the annual emissions of 90,000 cars8, making them a critical solution to climate change.
How do mangroves protect coastal communities?
Mangrove forests — specifically, their thick tangles of roots, which typically jut out of shallow coastal waters — are vital to shoreline communities as natural buffers against storm surges9, a growing threat thanks to rising sea levels.
Which country is losing the most mangroves?
Mangroves are under threat nearly everywhere, but the problem is particularly acute in Myanmar, where one study estimated the mangrove loss rate is more than five times the global average.10
What industry is having the biggest negative impact on mangrove forests?
In Thailand, Mexico and Indonesia, mangroves are often cleared to make room for shrimp farms. Eventually, the accumulated biowaste from the shrimp pens renders the water too toxic for most forms of life.3
Why can’t we just plant more mangroves?
Mangroves’ dense root systems inhibit the flow of tidal water and encourage the deposition of nutrient-rich sediments. But once lost, mangroves are very difficult to replant due to shifts in the very sediments that the roots once helped keep in place.11
References
- Somma, Marina. Trees That Grow in Saltwater sciencing.com, https://sciencing.com/trees-that-grow-in-saltwater-13429031.html. 21 September 2022.
- Lim, K., Murphy, D., Morgany, T., Sivasothi, N., Ng, P., Soong, B. C., Tan, H., Tan, K. S., Tan, T. K., (2001). A Guide to Mangroves of Singapore. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, The National University of Singapore & The Singapore Science Centre. http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/text/1042.htm
- Feller, C. (Ed.). Smithsonian. (2018, April). Mangroves. https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/plants-algae/mangroves
- NOAA. (2021, March 25). What is a mangrove forest? National Ocean Service website. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/mangroves.html
- Florida Museum. (2020, November 27). Mangrove Life. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/southflorida/habitats/mangroves/mangrove-life/
- FAO. 2020. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020: Main report. Rome. https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/ca9825en
- Beys-da-Silva, W. O., Santi, L., & Guimarães, J. A. (2014). Mangroves: A Threatened Ecosystem Under-Utilized as a Resource for Scientific Research. In Journal of Sustainable Development (Vol. 7, Issue 5). Canadian Center of Science and Education. https://doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v7n5p40
- NOAA. (2022, June 8). Coastal Blue Carbon. National Ocean Service website. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/ecosystems/coastal-blue-carbon/
- Blankespoor, B., Dasgupta, S., & Lange, G.-M. (2016). Mangroves as a protection from storm surges in a changing climate. In Ambio (Vol. 46, Issue 4, pp. 478–491). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-016-0838-x
- Richards, D. R., & Friess, D. A. (2015). Rates and drivers of mangrove deforestation in Southeast Asia, 2000–2012. In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Vol. 113, Issue 2, pp. 344–349). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1510272113
- Waters, H. Smithsonian. (2016, December). Mangrove Restoration: Letting Mother Nature Do The Work. https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/plants-algae/mangrove-restoration-letting-mother-nature-do-work