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| | | Affiliated Ecosystems |
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| | Mangroves | | |  Mangroves are tidal marine forests comprised of trees and plants that are able to thrive in water that has variable salinity and contains suspended solids (as it often does along the coasts, especially around estuaries). The root systems of mangrove forests are extensive; half on the land and half in the water, and play an important role in tropical coastal ecosystems as they provide nursery areas for several species of mollusks, crustaceans and fish, facilitate the chemical processes that fuel the food chain (called nutrient cycling), protect coastal lands from erosion, and enhance water quality by filtering suspended particles and anchoring sediments on the banks and to the seafloor. Furthermore, several species of birds nest in the canopy of mangrove forests. Mangroves are found in tropical and sub-tropical coastal areas around the world. Text courtesy of IOC | | Photo title: Mangroves in the Florida Keys, USA | | Photo credit: NOAA | | | | Seagrasses | | |  Seagrasses are categorized by their distribution: river estuary, coastal, reef, and deep water. Like terrestrial grasses, seagrasses are plants that produce oxygen through photosynthesis. They grow in calm, clear tropical waters where sunlight can penetrate to the seafloor. Seagrasses stabilize bottom sediment, provide habitats for a variety of fish, crustaceans and mollusks, as well as acting as feeding grounds for sea turtles, birds and marine mammals such as dugong. Text courtesy of IOC | | Photo title: Seagrass | | Photo credit: NOAA | | | | Mangroves, Seagrasses and Coral Reefs | | | | Mangroves, seagrasses and coral reefs are fundamentally connected ecosystems. Mangroves protect coral reefs from sedimentation from land-based sources, as well as helping to keep the water clear of particles and nutrients - both of these functions are necessary to maintain reef health. Seagrasses provide similar services for the reefs, and both mangroves and seagrasses provide spawning and nursery areas for many of the species of animals who spend their adult lives on the reefs. In return, the coral reefs provide shelter for the mangroves, seagrasses and their inhabitants, while the calcium carbonate eroded from the reef provides sediment from which the mangroves and seagrasses grow. However, the reciprocity of these linked ecosystems is not limited to benefits, threats to one have consequences to all. Thus, planners and managers for mangroves, seagrasses and coral reef ecosystems must take into account the dynamics between them in order to develop sustainable management policies and practices. Text courtesy of IOC | | | | |
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979 Topics - 5229 Related Knowledge - 11257 Members - 47 Editors |
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