Mangroves

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A thick stand of mangroves with tangled roots lines an island creek in Panama.
A thick stand of mangroves with tangled roots lines an island creek in Panama.
Ilka C. Feller/Smithsonian Institution

Mangroves are survivors. With their roots submerged in water, mangrove trees thrive in hot, muddy, salty conditions that would quickly kill most plants. How do they do it? Through a series of impressive adaptations—including a filtration system that keeps out much of the salt and a complex root system that holds the mangrove upright in the shifting sediments where land and water meet. Not only do mangroves manage to survive in challenging conditions, the mangrove ecosystem also supports an incredible diversity of creatures—including some species unique to mangrove forests. And, as scientists are discovering, mangrove swamps are extremely important to our own well-being and to the health of the planet. The question is: Will mangroves be able to survive the impact of human activities?

"Some scientists predict mangroves will be extinct in a hundred years."

– Dr. Candy Feller

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Cool Stuff

Mangroves: Cool Stuff

When water conditions deteriorate, the rivulus fish can live temporarily out of water.

What would you find in a mangrove swamp? Some pretty adaptable creatures—including fish that can live out of water. Take a virtual tour of a Caribbean mangrove swamp, and look at some National Geographic photos of mangrove forest creatures and habitats from around the world. Just wade right in…

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Sections

Ecosystem Basics

Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) nest in a mangrove in Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands.
A pair of brown pelicans and their chick have taken up residence in this mangrove tree. Many other kinds of birds also nest, roost, and feed in mangroves. And they’re not alone. Mangroves buzz with insects. Ants, spiders, moths, termites, and scorpions feed and nest in hollowed twigs. Snakes and lizards crawl along tree limbs. Frogs cling to bark and leaves. There are about 70 species of mangroves, ranging from sprawling shrubs to trees that stand 60 meters (200 feet) high and provide habitats for organisms large and small. All are adapted to living in shallow seawater. Some can live in places nearly three times saltier than the sea. As a whole, mangroves are among the most productive and biologically complex ecosystems on Earth.
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Featured Creatures

A male mudflat fiddler crab (Uca rapax) waves its huge claw to impress females and threaten competitors.
How do you tell a male mudflat fiddler crab from a female? It’s easy. Males are the ones flaunting huge claws. They use the claws to woo females—and to pound male rivals on the head. Sometimes the crabs chase male competitors all the way to their burrows. The females don’t even seem to notice. They just wander around eating as much as they can.
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Science

Marc Frischer from the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography studies bacteria at a Smithsonian field station.
How diverse are mangroves? How do their components work? What threats do they face—and how can we conserve them? Smithsonian scientists and colleagues from around the world are searching for answers to these and other urgent questions. The scientists make use of the extensive collections at the National Museum of Natural History as well as the facilities at several Smithsonian research stations outside of Washington, D.C.—including an environmental research center in Maryland, a tropical research institute in Panama, and field stations along the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts from Florida to Panama. These natural laboratories enable the scientists to conduct long-term studies on mangrove ecosystems from a range of latitudes. Find out how.
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Threats & Solutions

Mangroves are being decimated by human development, like this shrimp farm in Belize.
Despite their critical importance, mangroves are disappearing at an alarming rate around the world. Human development, industrial activity, and aquaculture are rapidly replacing these salt-tolerant trees and the ecosystems they support. There are a few places where mangrove cover is increasing. But, in just in the last decade, at least 35 percent of the world's mangroves have been destroyed. That’s a rate of loss that exceeds the disappearance of tropical rainforests.
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Human Connections

Red mangroves form an impenetrable, protective barrier against storms and tsunamis.
Mangroves form dense barriers against storms and tsunamis, saving lives and protecting property. They also provide us with many other important benefits—more than many people may realize. For example, mangroves produce seafood, fruits, medicines, fiber, and wood. They stabilize shores by trapping sediments and building land. They improve water quality by filtering runoff and polluted waters. They protect the climate by absorbing carbon dioxide and reducing the amount of greenhouse gas. All in all, researchers estimate, the world's mangrove forests provide human communities with many billions of dollars worth of free services.
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Comments

I´m not an expert on web pages, but for me the general concept is great. Regarding mangroves, a subjet I know some, I have some comments and suggestions.

In the first line, of the first paragraph, you use the word "survivor" and if you check the meaning of this word, it refers to somebody or something who overpass and event in which others have died. This is not the case of mangroves. Their ancestors where fresh water specieas that have evolve phisological, morphological, mechanical and reproductive adatations for millios of year

Regarding salinity tolerenace yo enphasize filtration or ultafiltration and this is not very clear (please correct me!!!). I suggest to include excretion, so evident and easy to show in species of Avicenia and Rhizophora. At the same time it will be very interestig to explain the unique process of excretion in mangroves.

I will add two or three lines on how mangroves trap sediements, facilitating land acreation.

One last thing, I did not find anything about the impact of climate change and sea level rise on mangroves.

Excuse my simple English!!!

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 12/23/2009 - 1:10pm.

Excelent view and conservation of all our earth is the balance of life and this site help to understand the nature of our future. Thank you

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 6:25am.

The Toolkit banner and the related links seem to interrupt the flow of learning about Mangroves. Consider relocating those tangential items to the bottom of the page, below the closely related resources you've prepared.

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 12:13pm.

Point well taken. I agree! I can't even read all of the above comment because the toolbar banner is blocking part of the text.

Bob Gillespie

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 12/14/2010 - 7:54pm.

I think that you should include information about the different types of mangroves as well.

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 08/13/2010 - 8:52pm.

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH, I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE MY PROJECT.

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 10/20/2010 - 1:03pm.

this picture is awesome!

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 12/05/2010 - 10:07am.

it was very informative!!!!

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 4:31am.

I am doing a project on creek restoration and mangroves are the first topic for me to take into the schools here on Andros Island in The Bahamas and i have found most of this information to be very informative especially the information on human connection, so i thank you very much for such valuable information in all...

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 01/12/2011 - 1:03pm.

How many mangrove forests are there in the world? Where are they?

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 8:10am.

i hope the mangroves will survive human impact

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 5:36am.

It was nice to read the brief information

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 5:53am.

It was great to know about the important facts of a mangroveforest

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 5:59am.

Better information ever made for this....

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 03/19/2011 - 9:57am.

very nice

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 04/05/2011 - 5:30am.

Consider relocating those tangential items to the bottom of the page, below the closely related resources you've prepared.

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 04/05/2011 - 5:44am.

cool mangroves really good, intresting info from here

-from me

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 04/09/2011 - 10:28am.

interesting

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 04/21/2011 - 8:42am.

mangroves are very very important for avoiding of soil erosion

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 06/28/2011 - 8:28am.

what is the treat to the ecosystem which species are at risk?

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 2:02am.

more ideas to come ..i love mangroves they prevent the soil erosion,,,

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 12:18am.

u dont have eough information plz give so more

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 10/13/2011 - 11:18am.

What kind of extra information are you looking for?

-The Ocean Portal Team

Submitted by Ocean Portal Team on Thu, 10/13/2011 - 6:02pm.

it is very helpful

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 12/25/2011 - 6:23am.