What are Mangrove Forests?

Mangroves are shrubs and trees that grow in coastal waters. Mangroves are halophytes, meaning they are salt-tolerant trees that thrive in intertidal conditions. These diverse and productive ecosystems provide essential habitats for species, coastal protection from storms, and livelihood opportunities for coastal communities.

Open
Tags: Biodiversity Blue Carbon Blue Forests Ecosystem Benefits mangroves threats
What are Mangrove Forests?

Related Resources

The Biological Productivity of the Ocean
 Productivity fuels life in the ocean, drives its chemical cycles, and lowers atmospheric carbon dioxide. Nutrient uptake and export interact with circulation to yield distinct ocean regimes. [...]
Tags: carbon dioxideocean basicsocean carbon cycleprimary production
Seagrasses, Nature’s Water Filter
 In many systems, vegetated estuarine habitats such as salt marshes and seagrass beds act as a natural water filtration system—where sediment and nutrient-rich water flows in and cleaner water flows [...]
Tags: cultural servicesEcosystem Benefitsprovisional servicesregulating services
Ecosystems as Fish Factories
 The authors’ initial global model of mangrove fisheries was built up front a detailed review of hundreds of studies from around the world, and informed by an expert panel. In terms of natural pr[...]
Tags: BiodiversityEcosystem Benefitsecosystem servicesFisheries
Marine Life Cycles
 Although at the surface the ocean can appear calm and quiet, in fact there is an enormous amount of life activity taking place, particularly at certain times of the year. [...]
Tags: Blue Forestscoastal and marine ecosystemsocean basicsOcean Literacy
Why Protecting & Restoring Blue Carbon Ecosystems Matters
 Mangroves and seagrass meadows are coastal ecosystems that cover a small portion of the total ocean area but collectively are widely distributed on every continent except Antarctica. Mangroves are fou[...]
Tags: Blue CarbonBlue ForestsEcosystem Benefitsecosystem services
What is Ocean Acidification?
 The term ocean acidification is used to describe the ongoing decrease in ocean pH caused by human CO2 emissions, such as the burning of fossil fuels. It is the little known consequence of living in a [...]
Tags: Carbon EmissionsClimate ChangeGlobal carbon cycleOcean Acidification
SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
 Sustainable Development Goal 14 is to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development, according to the United Nations. The visualizations and data o[...]
Tags: ConservationoceanSDG 14Sustainable Development Goals
Understanding Blue Carbon
 Blue carbon refers to carbon dioxide that is absorbed from the atmosphere and stored in the ocean. “Blue” refers to the watery nature of this storage. The vast majority of blue carbon is carbon di[...]
Tags: Blue CarbonBlue ForestsCarbon EmissionsClimate Change