MANGROVES - PROTECTS ECOSYSTEM
Mangroves are
plants which live between the sea and the land, where they are flooded by tides. A mangrove may be a tree, shrub, palm, fern , climber or grass - all of them able to live in salt water. Mangroves thrive in salty environments because they are able to obtain fresh water from saltwater. They grow along the coasts, estuaries, backwater and islands. They look like walking trees with their strange roots and leaves. Mangrove forests thrive near the mouths of large rivers where river deltas provide lots of sand and mud.
Mangroves are extremely important to the following points: 1. Mangrove roots collect sediments and slow the water''s flow, helping to
protect the coastline and preventing erosion.
2. Mangrove forests protect land from storm winds, cyclones, waves and floods.
3. They improve water quality by filtering pollutants.
4. Mangroves produce a lot of nutrients for sea creatures and every time the tide goes out, it carries tons of food out to the sea.
5. They are the nursery for all fish / shell fish.
6. Mangroves fruits are edible.
7. Mangroves provide thousands of livelihood options.