Why are mangroves important?
SECURING OUR COASTLINES
Mangroves provide essential defense for coastal communities. By stabilizing shorelines and slowing erosion, mangroves provide natural barriers protecting our coastal communities from storm surge, flooding, boat wakes, and hurricanes.
FILTERING OUR WATER
Mangroves have the incredible ability to maintain water quality. Through their dense network of roots, they filter and trap sediment, heavy metals and other pollutants. Mangroves can also absorb chemicals from runoff, keeping our waters safe from of harmful algal blooms.
STORING OUR CARBON
Mangroves are the best carbon sequestering trees in the world. Now more than ever, conserving and restoring mangroves is essential, in order to fight climate change and store the increasing amount of carbon emissions in our atmosphere.
PROTECTING OUR ANIMALS
Mangroves are hotspots for biodiversity. They provide nesting and breeding habitat for fish, shellfish, crustaceans, migratory birds, sea turtles and more. Hundreds of species rely on mangroves as their homes.
INSURING OUR FUTURE
Mangroves are the key to healthy marine ecosystems and safe coastal communities. They are of utmost environmental value, and we must all join together to conserve mangrove ecosystems so that future generations have the opportunities they help provide.