If you've ever spent time by the sea in a tropical place, you've probably noticed distinctive trees that rise from a tangle of roots wriggling out of the mud. These are Mangroves shrub and tree species that live along shores, rivers, and estuaries in the tropics and subtropics. Mangroves are remarkably tough. Most live on muddy soil, but some also grow on sand, peat, and coral rock. They live in water up to 100 times saltier than most other plants can tolerate. They thrive despite twice-daily flooding by ocean tides; even if this water were fresh, the flooding alone would drown most trees. Growing where land and water meet, mangroves bear the brunt of ocean-borne storms and hurricanes.
Year: 2016
From album: Zanzibar Tanzania
Photographer:
Rob Barnes
Tags:
blue carbon
coastal ecosystem
coastal ecosystems
East Africa
Indian
Islands
Mangrove
Ocean
Tanzania
Zanzibar