Mangrove Forests Are Making a Remarkable Comeback
- Jun 10
- 2 min read
Mangroves are one of the world's unsung environmental heroes, so it's very good news that they are staging an unexpected revival.
The world's coastal mangrove forests, which protect millions of people from storms - and soak up vast amounts of planet-warming gases - had been declining rapidly as they were cleared for fish farms and housing. However, a new study shows that since 2010 the world has been gaining more mangroves than it has been losing - driven by stronger legal protections and increased public awareness of their importance.
The researchers say the key factor though is the remarkable capacity of these forests to regenerate naturally once humans stop chopping them down.
According to the NOAA, mangroves store up to five times more carbon dioxide than land-based forests, and their tangled roots can also slow down waves and protect coastal communities from storm surges and tsunamis. Furthermore, mangrove tree roots provide a perfect nursery for many species of fish and other marine life - protecting them from predators and providing ample food.
From the 1980s to 2010, over 12,000 sq km (4,600 sq miles) of mangroves were cleared or destroyed across Asia, Africa and the Americas. But the good news is that the new study shows a remarkable reversal of that trend, particularly over the last decade. The total net losses - the forest lost and not replaced - since the 1980s have now been reduced to around 849 sq km (328 sq miles).
The study also found that many existing forests were actually becoming healthier. Since the 1980s, the proportion of closed canopy mangroves, the richest and most carbon-dense, has grown by nearly 20 percent.
"So, I think we are going the right way," said lead author Dr Zhen Zhang from Tulane University in the US.
