William Nuttle, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Federal and state agencies are carrying out a 35-year, multi-billion-dollar plan to restore Florida’s Everglades, but have not factored sea level rise or other climate change impacts into their plans.
New research makes the economic case for mangroves.
A pair of blacktip reef shark neonates (Carcharhinus melanopterus) gently cruise among the roots in the mangrove forest of Surin Archipelago during high tide in Mu Koh Surin national park, Thailand.
Shin Arunrugstichai
Thousands of hydropower dams are under construction around the world. New research shows that by cutting off sediment flow, these dams can have big ecological effects on far-off bays and deltas.
Author and activist George Monbiot.
John Russell1/Wikipedia
The Trump administration is sharply reducing environmental protection for wetlands and streams across the US. This roundup of stories spotlights the many benefits that such water bodies provide.
Mangrove forest in Pichavaram, Tamil Nadu, India.
VasuVR/Wikimedia
Mangrove forests along the world’s tropical and subtropical coasts store enormous quantities of ‘blue’ carbon – especially in river delta zones, where soil builds up quickly.
Mangroves growing strong.
Ali Suliman/Shutterstock
Coral reefs are in trouble, but other marine species are also feeling the strain but are off the conservation radar.
Protecting coastal wetlands, like this slough in Florida’s Everglades National Park, is a cost-effective way to reduce flooding and storm damage.
NPS/C. Rivas
Coastal development is destroying marshes, mangroves and other wetlands that provide valuable protection from hurricanes and storms. Research shows these benefits can be worth millions of dollars.
Freshwater cypress swamp, First Landing State Park, Va.
VA State Parks
Wetlands are some of the world’s most undervalued weapons against climate change. They store huge quantities of carbon – but without better protection, many could soon be drained or paved over.
Widespread mangrove dieback in the Gulf of Carpenteria.
JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY/AAP
As Earth’s climate warms, mangroves are expanding north and south from tropical zones. Mangroves reinforce shorelines and store huge quantities of carbon, so protecting them is an effective climate strategy.
Coastal wetlands are an effective first line of defense and act by slowing down storm surges and reducing flooding.
Kelly Fike/USFWS
New research by scholars, conservationists and the insurance industry shows that coastal wetlands provide hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of protection from flooding, boosting the case for protecting them.
Mangroves have died along a 1,000km stretch of coastline in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
NC Duke