Mangroves: 11 facts you need to know

Though estimates vary, there are at least 50 — and maybe up to 110 — mangrove species, ranging in height from 2 - 10 meters, (6 - 32 feet) but all species feature oblong or oval-shaped leaves and share an affinity for brackish habitats.

Mangroves, specifically the underwater habitat their roots provide, offer critical nursing environments for juveniles of thousands of fish species, from 2.5 cm (1-inch) gobies to 3 meter (10-foot) sharks.

The United States has roughly 2,500 square kilometers (about 1,500 square miles) of mangroves — an area about the size of Luxembourg — located almost entirely in southern Florida.

Blue carbon ecosystems (mangroves, sea grasses and salt marshes) can be up to 10 times more efficient than terrestrial ecosystems at absorbing and storing carbon long term, making them a critical solution in the fight against climate change.

Mangroves are under threat nearly everywhere, but the problem is particularly acute in Myanmar, where the rate of deforestation is four times the global average.

In Thailand, Mexico and Indonesia, mangroves are often cut down to make room for temporary shrimp pens. But once the pens have been removed, the accumulated biowaste renders the water too toxic for most forms of life.

Mangroves’ dense root systems inhibit the flow of tidal water and encourage the deposition of nutrient-rich sediments. But once lost, mangroves are very difficult to replant due to shifts in the very sediments the roots helped keep in place.