Mangrove forest
| Marine habitats |
|---|
| Coastal habitats |
| Ocean surface |
| Open ocean |
| Sea floor |
Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands located in tropical and subtropical intertidal zones. Approximately 80 mangrove species exist, all adapted to areas where slow-moving water allows for the deposition of fine sediment and low-oxygen soil conditions. These trees cannot endure freezing temperatures, which restricts their distribution to warmer climates.
Their distinct, stilt-like roots allow the trees to slow the movement of tidal waters, causing the settlement of suspended sediments and acting as a protective barrier to reduce coastal erosion. These roots also provide an important habitat for many species.
Mangrove forests live at the interface between the land, the ocean, and the atmosphere, and are centres for the flow of energy and matter between these systems. They have attracted much research interest because of the various ecological functions of the mangrove ecosystems, including runoff and flood prevention, storage and recycling of nutrients and wastes, cultivation and energy conversion. The forests are major blue carbon systems, storing considerable amounts of carbon in marine sediments, thus becoming important regulators of climate change. Marine microorganisms are key parts of these mangrove ecosystems. However, much remains to be discovered about how mangrove microbiomes contribute to high ecosystem productivity and efficient cycling of elements.