What are mangroves you may ask? I first learned about mangroves at The Island School, in Cape Eleuthera Bahamas. I learned from hands on experience about red, black and white mangroves. Mangroves are a large tree like shrubs that grow in sediment habitats near the coast. They are typically located in tropical areas and are the main ecosystems for a diverse group of animals. Mangroves interlocking roots in the ocean and on land are crucial to preventing sediment from running into the ocean and protecting the last from tsunamis and hurricanes. They also have a unique system of excreting salt that allows them to thrive in the ocean.
http://www.mangrove.at/mangrove_forests.html
I came across an interesting article posted by National Geographic called “To Save Coral Reefs, First Save Mangroves”. The article discusses the hard truth that the coral reefs are not thriving in the waters that have increasing temperatures. Although, scientists have found that there are small coral reels surrounding the mangroves that have survived, showing that the mangroves could be a key factor to saving the coral reefs.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/02/150210-mangrove-protect-coral-bleaching-science/
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