Every year on July 26th the world celebrates World Mangrove Day. This year it aims to raise awareness about the crucial mangrove ecosystem, to promote the conservation and sustainable growth of mangrove forests. Overall, mangroves are disappearing 3 to 5 times faster than global forest losses. Thus, it is important to protect and conserve the mangrove ecosystem. This year’s theme is – “Raising Awareness about Mangroves and their Importance as Self-sustaining Ecosystems.”
Nature’s friend and protector, Mangroves, salt-tolerant trees (halophytes), provide numerous natural benefits to our planet: they provide natural infrastructure to help protect nearby populated areas by reducing erosion and absorbing storm surge impacts during extreme weather events, and their dense roots help bind and build soils. They play an enormous importance to the ecosystem.
Mangroves are amazing carbon sinks which absorb 10 times more carbon than mature tropical forests and store three to five times more carbon per equivalent area than tropical forests. They burst with life-giving characteristics: more than 1500 plant and animal species depend on mangroves. Research now indicates that mangroves are also critical for larger mammals, such as monkeys, sloths, tigers, hyenas and African wild dogs.
Mangroves also serve as nursery grounds for fish, prawns and crabs and support fishery production in coastal waters. The tons of leaves that fall from each acre of mangrove forest every year are the basis of an incredibly food production system: as the leaves decay, they provide nutrients for invertebrates and algae. These in turn feed many small organisms, such as birds, sponges, worms, anemones, jellyfish, shrimp, and young fishes.
Above the ocean surface, mangroves also provide critical habitat for cranes, eagles, monkeys, and even tigers. Furthermore, the complex mangrove root systems filter nitrates, phosphates and other pollutants from the water, improving the water quality flowing from rivers and streams into the estuarine and ocean environment. Adding to the benefits of mangroves, the health and extent of coral reefs are largely dependent on coastal mangrove forests, which stabilize shorelines, remove pollutants and improve water quality.
Protecting mangroves and restoring damaged ones to mitigate climate change worldwide through reforestation and afforestation is crucial now than ever before as they are some of the most carbon-rich ecosystems on the planet.
One of the most devastating effects of the climate crisis is coral bleaching, where warming temperatures of the ocean severely impacts and very often, permanently damages the health of coral reefs and its ecosystems. However, healthy mangrove forests have the capability of providing shelter for coral species at risk from coral bleaching, as well as reducing ocean acidification.
The Asia pacific region contains half of the world’s mangrove forests with Indonesia having the largest and most diverse mangrove ecosystems in world.
Mangrove forests cover just 0.1% of the planet’s surface but store up to 10x more carbon per hectare than terrestrial forests. Mangrove trees store carbon in their leaves, and when those leaves fall off and sink into the mud and silt, they become what is known as Blue Carbon.
Sri Lanka has around 160 square kilometers of mangrove vegetation which are found in areas of Puttalam Lagoon, Kala Oya basin and Trincomalee. A few dense strips of mangrove forests can be found in southwest and southern coasts.
In 2015, Sri Lanka made history by becoming the first country worldwide to legally protect all remaining mangrove forests, and its mangrove restoration initiative has been named a World Restoration Flagship by the United Nations (UN). Hence, Sri Lanka may act as an important example for other nations. Sri Lanka’s has an ambitious goal of restoring 10,000 hectares of mangroves by 2030. Supported by global partners including the Australian and UK governments, the initiative has since helped them achieve 500 hectares of newly restored mangroves.
This year, as part of our commitment towards sustainability, Oceanpick is organizing a Mangrove Planting programme in recognition of “World Mangrove Conservation Day”. Sites close to Codbay have been selected with the support of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA). This collaborative mangrove project will be supported by MEPA, and specialists will assist Oceanpick team in monitoring the site to ensure the successful growth of mangroves. The success of this pilot project will stem to develop and maintain it as a monitoring site together with MEPA, and continue developing more sites around the area. This initiative will take place on the 29th of July.
The mangrove is a true nature ninja, boasting a bounty of mind-blowing talents and skills and is nature-based solutions for mitigating global climate change.