Mangrove Month 2018

We are turning November into “Mangrove Month”, a time to remind ourselves and our leadership about the importance of these ecosystems. Mangrove forests are not only evocative of tropical coastlines and slow-moving  brackish water where salt and freshwater mix. They are indicators of resilience and strength. These mighty trees form spiraling coastal forests which hug shorelines and save lives during storms.

Losing mangroves means losing more than just an ecosystem. It means losing livelihoods, food security, valuable timber production, coastal defenses and one of our most efficient and important carbon stores on the planet. These powerful plant which peak above the water’s edge with twisted, exposed roots can store three to four times more carbon than most terrestrial forests. If undisturbed, mangrove soil carbon remains stable for centuries to millennia.