Mangrove seen as weapon in climate war

Mangroves in Sipacate-Naranjo National Park, located on Guatemala’s Pacific coast. (Ana Giró, courtesy of Healthy Reefs for Healthy People)

To the untrained eye, the mangroves of the Gulf of California appear to be little more than ragged bushes held aloft by scraggly, finger-like roots rising from the shallows. At the right times of year, some of the millions of migratory shorebirds that visit from as far away as Alaska can be seen. The crabs and fish they shelter, however, are more difficult to spot. And less noticeable still are the underlying peaty soils that have accumulated over time, in some cases millennia, helping to make mangrove stands among the most carbon-rich ecosystems on the planet. But Mexico’s coastal communities and national government are taking note. They are coming to appreciate the teeming life in mangroves and the valuable ecosystem services they provide... Read more →