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Join us! Award-winning travel photographer and owner of stock photography agency Odysseyphoto. Sign up to receive weekly ocean updates. When mangrove tree roots, branches and leaves die they are usually covered by soil, which is then submerged under tidal water, slowing the breakdown of materials and boosting carbon storage. Research shows that coastal mangroves outperform most other forests in their capacity to store carbon.
An examination of 25 mangrove forests across the Indo-Pacific region found that per hectare, they held up to four times more carbon than other tropical rainforests. They provide livelihoods Many people living in and around mangroves depend on them for their livelihood. The trees are a reliable source of wood for construction and fuel, which is prized for its hardy resistance to both rot and insects.
However, in some areas, the wood has been harvested commercially for pulp, wood chip and charcoal, raising concerns about sustainability. Plant extracts are collected by locals for their medicinal qualities and the leaves of mangrove trees are often used for animal fodder.
The forest waters provide local fishermen with a rich supply of fish, crabs and shellfish to sell for income. They encourage ecotourism Sustainable tourism offers a stimulus to preserve existing mangrove areas, with potential to generate income for local inhabitants. Often located near to coral reefs and sandy beaches, the forests provide a rich environment for activities like sports fishing, kayaking and birdwatching tours. If held at sustainable levels, ecotourism could provide the perfect motivation to protect mangroves, instead of clearing them for mass tourism developments.
They are rich in biodiversity. Human activity has caused huge biodiversity loss in land and marine ecosystems around the globe, endangering many plant and animal species. By filtering coastal waters, mangroves form a nutrient-rich breeding ground for numerous species that thrive above and below the waterline.
A huge variety of wildlife lives or breeds in the mangrove ecosystem, including numerous fish, crab and shrimp species, molluscs, and mammals like sea turtles. The trees are home to an array of nesting, breeding and migratory birds. The forests also play a vital role for coastal communities, acting as a food source that has become key to the livelihood of the local people.
One of the largest mangrove forests, The Sundarban delta, covers around 10, sq km across India and Bangladesh. Aside from providing food and a habitat for living creatures, mangroves have many other incredible capabilities, including their ability to store carbon in their roots and the surrounding soil, helping to significantly reduce the rate of global heating.
With their vast web of tangled roots, mangroves are highly effective at catching sediment, thus creating a natural barrier for dissipating wave energy and in turn protecting the surrounding coastlines from erosion and flooding.
This useful filtering ability also helps to protect the neighbouring coral reefs, which would otherwise risk getting smothered by the sediment. This is largely a result of clearing, to make room for agricultural land, human settlements, infrastructure, palm oil production and tourist developments.
The wood from mangrove forests is also highly sought after for firewood, construction and high demand has resulted in serious overharvesting.
Overfishing is also a large problem, which is causing an ecological imbalance within the food chain. Meanwhile, pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, and various other man-made chemicals which run off farmland and into the rivers, are having even more disastrous impacts for the inhabiting wildlife. SeaTrees, a program of non-profit Sustainable Surf, is making it easy for brands and individuals to support the restoration and protection of blue-carbon coastal ecosystems. SeaTrees sources some of the best restoration projects available and promotes those projects to a global community of ocean lovers all around the world.
Their short term goal is to plant 1 million sea trees, and by working with local communities they have already planted over thousand. With the help of the local community, SeaTrees have started a successful restoration project to replant and protect 1, hectares of damaged mangrove forest.
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