Mangroves of the Bahamas: Mangroves of the Bahamas Discover the vital role mangroves play in the ecological and cultural landscape of the Bahamian archipelago. This presentation explores the unique biodiversity, resilience, and importance of mangrove ecosystems in protecting coastlines, supporting fisheries, and serving as carbon sinks. Learn how local communities interact with and depend on these natural barriers, and what’s being done to conserve and restore them in the face of climate shocks and development pressures.

1. Mangroves

2. • salt-tolerant, woody trees –
really land plants
• flowering plants - with true
roots, stems, and leaves

3. • warm, tropical and sub-tropical
regions
• cover 60 – 75% of tropical shores

4. • found in protected, coastal areas

5. • intertidal
• where salt marshes would be
in temperate zone

6. • salty, muddy water
• anaerobic sediments

7. Functions:
• protect coastal lands from
storms and erosion
• filter runoff
• accrete
sediments

8. • gradually extend land seaward –
eventually replaced by land
plants = ecological succession
Functions:

9. Habitat Value:
• very important for
other organisms
• epiphytic organisms live on prop roots:
sponges, tunicates, worms, anemones,
snails, crabs, shrimp, lobster

10. Habitat Value:
• some species live in mud:
crabs, mudskippers (Pacific)

11. Habitat Value:
• many juvenile coral reef fish live
here (later move to reef)
• food and protection from predators
among roots

12. Habitat Value:
• many birds nest in branches
away from land predators:
egrets, doves, pelicans, etc

13. Zonation
• four main types in Caribbean:
• red, black, white, buttonwood
– moving inland

14. different types of mangroves

16. Red Mangrove
• most prominent
• large prop roots
• anchor trees in soft mud
• stabilize and trap
sediments
• grow down from
branches into water
• up to 30 ft. tall

17. Red Mangrove
• thick, waxy leaves - reduce
water loss
• exclude salt at roots

18. Red Mangroves
• pencil seeds - germinate while still
attached to the tree
• pointy – if low tide - falls into mud, sticks
there, grows
• if high tide - floats to other areas

19. Black Mangroves
• next inland
• snorkel roots – (pneumatophores)
- environment more severe than red
mangrove
- anaerobic mud – high decomp.
- roots grow upward
- obtain oxygen from air above - act
as straws

20. Black Mangroves

21. Black Mangroves
• salt pores (glands) - secrete
excess salt from plant
• can sometimes see salt crystals -
leaves covered with salt

22. White Mangroves
• farthest from water
• cannot tolerate
flooding

23. White Mangroves
• excrete salt from leaves and at
base of stem – salt glands

24. Buttonwood
• not true mangrove, but mangrove
associate

25. Human Uses
• protect coastal lands from storms and
erosion, filter runoff
ex: tsunami
- where mangroves removed – land
destroyed
- where mangroves remained – land
protected

26. Human Uses
• cutting to make charcoal
• honey from flowers
• medicine - from bark
• dyes - from bark
• cattle feed - leaves

27. Human Impacts
• half of world’s mangroves destroyed –
more in Southeast asia
• cut to make marinas - destroys habitat
and increases erosion

28. Human Impacts
• filled in land - for development
ex: St. Thomas racetrack
built on filled in mangroves
• broken when boats tie to them
• cut for charcoal

29. Human Impacts
• destroyed for shrimp mariculture –
for ponds

30. mangroves are a critical
habitat to be restored