Mangroves are among the most dynamic trees in Southwest Florida if not the world, and on Sanibel Island this weekend adults and children can get free plants to nurture and learn more about the fascinating trees.
An adult mangrove tree weighs a few thousand pounds. Anchored to the ground by its many roots hanging from its branches, and when intertwined in a mangrove forest, the trees can absorb the worst of the force of an18-foot wave during a hurricane and be damaged but alive and in place the next day.
As demonstrated during Hurricane Ian in 2021, homes behind a healthy jungle of mangroves tend to suffer less storm damage.
Mangroves are far more important than most people realize. Without them, barrier islands could wash away. With them, mangrove roots trap sediment, building land over time. After Hurricane Ian hit Pine Island, researchers found that coastal areas with mangrove forests experienced far less storm surge damage compared with St. James City, where mangroves had been removed for development.
Mangrove forests are one of the most effective ecosystems on the planet in helping humans deal with climate change as they store three to five times more carbon per acre than tropical rainforests.
Despite covering less than 1% of coastal areas, mangrove forests account for about 10% to 15% of all carbon stored in coastal sediments worldwide after trapping carbon in the oxygen-poor mud beneath them for thousands of years.
Mangroves are far more important than most people realize. Without them, barrier islands
could wash away. With them, mangrove roots trap sediment, building land over time.
Saltwater kills most trees, but mangroves have adapted to thrive. Certain species filter out salt at their roots, some excrete salt through their leaves, and some concentrate salt in older leaves that then fall off.
Mangroves can also grow in freshwater, and rather well, because they don't have to spend energy dealing with getting rid of the salt. However, in freshwater environments, they face competition from other trees that can't tolerate salt.
Mangroves have traditional root systems below the muddy sand they often grow in, but they also have little "breathing roots" that stick up out of the water like snorkels.
Mangrove forests help hold beaches in place.
Their roots help clean the water by trapping fertilizers and other pollution before it gets to the ocean. That helps keep beaches, seagrasses, and coral reefs healthy.
With all the roots going in different directions, a mangrove forest is a nursery habitat for juvenile fish and a nesting home for wading birds.
A big lesson why even little mangrove trees are important will be taught next week on Sanibel Island.
On Friday, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation will be giving residents a chance to adopt their own mangroves with starter kits to grow a mangrove at home until it is ready to be planted at a local restoration site later this year.
On Sunday, Skye McDonald-Newman, a SCCF mangrove expert, will discuss recent hurricane damage to the region’s mangroves and the ongoing restoration efforts.
McDonald-Newman‘s program starts at 4 p.m. on Nov. 9 at The Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way on Sanibel. It’s free, but those who plan to attend are asked to email their names here.
“Our restoration strategies are long-term, multi-faceted, and rooted in science and community engagement,” McDonald Newman said. “Restoration is not just ecological rehabilitation; it is an investment in a living infrastructure critical to the sustainability and defense of Sanibel Island.”
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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