Like coral reefs, mangrove forests are productive ecosystems that provide a number of important services for the oceans and people.
Mangroves, which only grow in tropical regions, are known as the "roots of the ocean." This important nursery ecosystem is home to about three-quarters of all tropical fish species who call mangrove forests their birthing grounds. The thick, winding branches provide protection and shelter for small animals, including some species of sharks. There are 110 species of mangrove and they add an estimated $186 million per year to the global total of goods. Mangroves also help absorb atmospheric carbon up to 100 times faster than the forests we see on land!
tell me more about mangrovesMangroves are so, so, so important. They provide coastlines protection against wind and wave action (i.e. tsunamis), prevent erosion, trap sediments (which helps keep coral reefs from becoming buried), maintain water quality and clarity (filter pollutants), and support the food web as a whole. Fun fact: the leaf litter in mangrove forests are a fave of phytoplankton!
Nurseries: Yes! Mangroves are valuable for various species of shrimp, crustaceans, mollusks, fish and more. WOAH! |
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They not only provide nutrients but protection and shelter from bigger animals. Many of these critters are threatened and endangered; some reside in mangrove forests for a portion of their life history or all of it.
Did you know that people use mangroves for their durable, water-resistant wood? They can build many things with it- furniture, pilings, boats, even houses! Some mangroves (like the black mangrove) are used to help make charcoal! Leaves can be made into tea, medicine, feed, or used for smoking. Mangroves are also great for tourism! Snorkelling expeditions in and around mangroves is guaranteed to allow people to see a variety of animals that are interwoven between the roots.
Did you know that people use mangroves for their durable, water-resistant wood? They can build many things with it- furniture, pilings, boats, even houses! Some mangroves (like the black mangrove) are used to help make charcoal! Leaves can be made into tea, medicine, feed, or used for smoking. Mangroves are also great for tourism! Snorkelling expeditions in and around mangroves is guaranteed to allow people to see a variety of animals that are interwoven between the roots.
elasmobranchs and mangroves
Before many species of sharks are large, mighty predators ... they first are itty-bitty babies. And for some species along coastal saline or brackish waters, hiding out in the roots of these shallow forests is the best way to grow big and strong!
Mangroves not only provide protection for small sharks, they also support the prey on which these sharks feed on. This haven from predators and abundance of food allows for these sharks to have an increased chance at survival. Some species that have been recorded in mangroves are lemon sharks, stingrays, sawfish, shovelnose rays, whiprays, blacktip sharks -- and there's many more! In fact, even some marine mammals call this complex habitat structure home.
The small island of Bimini in the Bahamas is one of the most studied mangrove system with sharks. The lemon sharks here are attached to a specific place of birth, which is the mangroves or seagrass beds; in fact, they come back to give birth at these same places! It isn't just for lemon sharks, they are essential in the reproduction of many elasmobranchs.
If we lose our mangrove forests, we could lose our sharks.
Mangroves not only provide protection for small sharks, they also support the prey on which these sharks feed on. This haven from predators and abundance of food allows for these sharks to have an increased chance at survival. Some species that have been recorded in mangroves are lemon sharks, stingrays, sawfish, shovelnose rays, whiprays, blacktip sharks -- and there's many more! In fact, even some marine mammals call this complex habitat structure home.
The small island of Bimini in the Bahamas is one of the most studied mangrove system with sharks. The lemon sharks here are attached to a specific place of birth, which is the mangroves or seagrass beds; in fact, they come back to give birth at these same places! It isn't just for lemon sharks, they are essential in the reproduction of many elasmobranchs.
If we lose our mangrove forests, we could lose our sharks.
what threats do mangroves face?
AquacultureThe ever-important mangroves are disappearing at about 1% every year due to aquaculture (shrimp farming). The United States, Japan, Canada and Europe are the main consumers of shrimp, and this high demand means mangrove forests are being cleared to create shrimp farms in recent years. Most of these are used for only a few years, and then are abandoned due to pollution and disease. Agriculture run-off is also not helping.
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pollutionFertilizers, pesticides, and other toxic man-made chemicals will run off into many water systems -- like rivers -- and leak into mangroves. This puts the animals living in mangrove forests at risk! Another type of pollution not thought about in tandem with mangroves? Oil! It can smother mangrove roots and suffocate the trees, effectively killing the habitat. NOT GOOD.
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coastal developmentNot only are the mangroves lost when a coast is developed, but a man-made structure usually replaces these forests and causes a change in hydrology, can cause erosion, and increases pollution. Mangroves are placed under significant pressure from humans like land reclamation, storm water discharge, dumping, pollution, draining of wetlands, global warming, sea level rise, etc.
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We have already lost over half of the world’s original mangrove forest area, which scientists estimate at about 80 million acres. Most of this loss has occurred within the last 20 years.
good news for mangroves!
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Many organisations worldwide are fighting for mangroves. They aim to expand nursery areas, offset carbon emissions with local businesses, fight against coastal development or agri-/aquaculture that removes mangroves, and plant mangroves in the wild! The most important part? Education programs! |
