The MAP News
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SPECIAL PODCAST Costing the EarthWhere do the prawns in your takeaway curry or pad thai come from? Peter Hadfield travels to South-East Asia to investigate the environmental impact of prawn farming. Listen HereFEATURE STORYWomen mobilize for their rights as artisanal fishers
 BRAZIL - Brazilian fisherwomen and shellfish gatherers are mobilizing to demand adequate representation in their sector, following decades of neglect. In January 2023, fisherwomen from four coastal regions in Brazil gathered with fishermen in the capital, Brasilia, to discuss critical changes needed in the fishing sector. The workshop, supported by Oceana, resulted in the “Letter of Brasilia” – a public call for decision-makers to update the country’s fisheries law – which was filed in Congress shortly after the meeting. The group also drafted a proposal that includes 20 new requirements to address the needs of artisanal fisherwomen throughout the country, , including: respecting the identity of fisherwomen and ensuring participation and rights of fisherwomen in decision-making spaces. Viviane Machado Alves, from Rio Grande do Sul, believes the inequality of past decades is nearing an end. She considers the craft of being an artisanal fisher more than just fishing itself. “We fish, cultivate, process, sell, and, above all, we are also guardians of the environment. We are not just fishing support. We want that visibility. The moment is now with this new federal government that announces that it will govern with the people and for the people. So, there’s no way we can’t be present in this new fishing legislation.” “We are forgotten by the government at all levels, municipal, state, and federal. Today, I see doors opening for us fisherwomen, because we are building, at the base, a bill for fishing with the chance to say what hurts and what hurts me as a fisherwoman,” says Jadeir Regina Nascimento, a fisherwoman from Maxaranguape in the northeast state of Rio Grande do Norte.
GLOBAL
Changes in mangrove blue carbon under elevated atmospheric CO2 GLOBAL - As one of the major blue carbon ecosystems, mangroves provide critical ecosystem services in mitigating global climate change. However, future complex and variable climate conditions may lead to the uncertainty in trajectories of blue carbon capacity. Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations (eCO2) is projected to become a prominent driver of mangrove blue carbon in the future. A group of scientists have reviewed studies on "changes in mangrove blue carbon under elevated atmospheric CO2" to identify the pathways for how eCO2 might influence mangrove ecosystem carbon cycling. The research is published as a review article in Ecosystem Health and Sustainability. This review shows that mangrove has a negative feedback to climate change, whereby eCO2 added to mangrove's ability to sequester additional carbon, which in turn reduces the rate by which CO2 builds. Furthermore, eCO2 affects warming and sea-level rise through alternate pathways, which might co-influence the mangrove response in both antagonistic and synergistic ways. The scientists suggest more experiments are needed to understand the influence of eCO2 on biological processes that might lead to greenhouse gas emissions, and they support investing in mesocosm-scale simulation experiments that could provide datasets for predicting future scenarios. Given the complexity of the interactions of biological and environmental factors with eCO2, long-term field observations and in situ simulation experiments can help to better understand the mechanisms for proper model initialization to predict future changes in mangrove carbon sequestration.
AFRICA
Egypt establishes online database of wild plant species EGYPT - The Ministry of Environment established a database of wild plant species in Egypt, on its official website. Egypt occupies the northeastern corner of the African continent, where four regions of biological geography meet, which are: the Iranian and the Turanian, the Mediterranean region, the desert Sindani, and the African tropical. What increases the uniqueness of this site is that it is divided into two parts by the longest river in the world, the Nile River. However, as a result of the extreme variation in its ecological ranges, it is home to a diversity of wild habitats, plant and animal life, which is characterized by an extreme diversity in its composition, despite the small number of species of living organisms and the lack of endemic species. It is indisputable that coral reefs and mangroves are two of the mechanisms of biodiversity in the world, in addition to that the fauna and flora of the Red Sea are, to a large extent, a modified version of the fauna and flora of the Indian and Pacific oceans, although they include a relatively small number of endemic species. MADAGASCAR - Coastal communities recognize the value of mangroves but have struggled with overexploitation of the woody ecosystem. Rolland Randria, a fisherman and father of eight from a small village outside of Morondava and 80 others from his village, mostly women, have an association dedicated to restoring mangroves, but it hasn’t been easy. In exploited areas, now devoid of vegetation, sand dunes remain mobile and unstable, and mangrove restoration efforts are difficult. Planting mangrove seedlings directly in degraded areas has yielded an average survival rate of less than 10%. This dismal survival rate changed in 2021, when Randria’s association started working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and partners. With support from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Forest Service assessed the tidal, soil and environmental conditions of proposed restoration sites and then adjusted mangrove propagation and outplanting methods to match ecosystem needs. They then worked with eight Menabe-based community associations like Randria’s to produce and plant 58,681 robust mangrove seedlings in degraded areas in 2022. Monitoring in 2023 show a 90% survival rate, nine times the success of previous efforts. "The success on the ground deserves to be copied in a large government project,” said Tsiry Niaina Randrenjarivelo, Regional Directorate of Fisheries and the Blue Economy in Menabe. Randrenjarivelo has participated in Forest Service mangrove workshops and is keen to replicate the methods and the success. A new government project, called SWIOFISH 2, plans to use the Forest Service approach to restore 1,000 hectares -- about 2,500 acres -- of mangroves in the Menabe region.AMERICASReforesting Mangrove Trees Could Prove Key to Storm Defense in Puerto Rico  PUERTO RICO - The sun shone brightly on a recent Saturday morning in Puerto Rico as a group of three dozen people grabbed mangrove roots from a bucket provided by organizers. Some of the planters were clad in waders while others wore flip-flops and board shorts, but all came to the beach town of Isabela for the same purpose: to restore the mangrove forests to their former glory in hopes of preventing the beach from moving inland. “The quicker we seed, the faster the forest will grow,” Andreina Alexatos, green infrastructure coordinator for the San Juan Bay Estuary Program, told Latino Rebels, adding about 95 percent of the mangrove forest has been destroyed. Over the course of two hours, Alexatos’ group, mostly made of university students, members of the grassroots environmental organization SurfriderPR, and volunteers, planted over 400 saplings. Only about 10 percent will survive by Alexatos’ estimate, but that could be a game-changer for the heavily destroyed mangrove forest. Without such help, the forest would likely take between 30 and 50 years to start looking like it once did. Thanks to the saplings being planted, that timeframe could be shortened to as much as 10 years, Alexatos says. Part of the reason for the reforesting campaign in Isabela and other places along Puerto Rico’s northwest coast is the alarming rate at which the island’s mangrove forests are disappearing, the effects of which are already being felt. During the last few decades, concrete has begun covering more and more of Puerto Rico’s beautiful beaches, leading to the destruction of mangrove forests that once protected the coastline from rising sea levels.
Florida Wildlife With Ali: Mangrove Tree Crabs
 USA - If you’ve explored the vast Florida coastlines and any of the mangrove habitats in the Sunshine State, then you’ve been around mangrove tree crabs. This common and fascinating species can be found in tropical and subtropical parts of the America’s and has the scientific name Aratus pisonii. These small, dark crustaceans can be seen crawling atop mangrove trees during high tide and venturing onto the ground in low tide. Often, they are observed in large numbers traveling vertically up and around the branches. Mangrove tree crabs are uniquely flatter in surface structure than other crabs and their legs are spread out to the side to better climb the trees in which they live. Unlike other crabs, their eyes are wideset on either side of their carapace. This likely aids their vision when navigating the mangroves. Mangrove tree crabs are omnivores and feed mostly on detritus, algae, small invertebrates and animal matter. The most important part of their diet comes from the leaves of the mangrove trees in which they inhabit. Mangrove tree crabs reproduce year-round. Even with their small size, the female can carry over 30,000 eggs on her back, depending on the width of her carapace. It is also believed that their hatching cycles coincide with moon phases, though the study is not conclusive. Mangrove tree crabs are commonly preyed upon by shorebirds, fish and even other crabs that live in their mangrove environment.Volunteers remove 82 kilos of garbage from Mahahual mangrove  MEXICO - A group of volunteers have removed 82 kilos of garbage from a Mahahual mangrove. The long weekend clean consisted of a group of volunteers who took the the regional mangrove where they found plastic, glass and general garbage. According to Ana del Pilar Antillanca Oliva, representative Less Plastic is Fantastic in Mahahual, they removed 34.8 kilos of garbage, 31.1 kilos of glass and 16.1 kilos of plastic totaling 82 kilos of waste. Thanks to the volunteers who joined in and also to Tide Ocean Material, all of whom are concerned about the environment of Mahahual. Oiliva said that more and more volunteers are joining the cleaning tasks in mangrove areas in Mahahual, which means that the awareness projects that have been carried out for several years is increasingly paying off. She recognized that the cleaning is not easy, but is worth it because it means preserving the mangrove, and in general, the environment of Mahahual. “The mangroves create ecosystems that function as water and air purifiers and we are truly very happy because more and more people are joining this incredible experience with us to take care of our home, our species and ourselves,” she said . The waste collected from the mangrove area is classified, weighed and distributed to the collection areas to give it a new use and prevent it from going to the open dump.
ASIA Indonesia’s mangrove restoration will run out of land well short of target, study warns
 INDONESIA - In 2020, the Indonesian government set a goal of restoring 600,000 hectares, or nearly 1.5 million acres, of mangrove ecosystems by 2024. Progress toward that goal has been slow: Indonesia’s Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) reported it had restored 34,911 hectares (86,267 acres) in 2021, more than its stated 30,000-hectare (74,000-acre) target for the year, but still a small percentage of the larger goal. Now, the 600,000-hectare target faces another challenge. A recently published countrywide map of suitable areas for mangrove restoration shows that just 193,367 hectares (477,820 acres) of mangroves, 30% of the target area, is actually suitable for restoration. The idea behind this new study, led by Sigit Sasmito of the National University of Singapore and Mohammad Basyuni of the University of North Sumatra and published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, was simple. “We were triggered by the fact that there was a big plan to restore 600,000 hectares of mangrove in Indonesia, so we were curious about where to find the land,” said co-author Daniel Murdiyarso, principal scientist at CIFOR-ICRAF. Mangrove restoration is much more complex than simply planting seedlings; whether those seedlings will grow depends on the substrate, hydrology and history of the area they’ve been planted in, and whether they will persist in the long term is linked to the land tenure status of where they’re growing.How MISHTI plans to conserve mangrove
 INDIA - As oxygen generators, carbon sinks and home to diverse wildlife and rich biodiversity, the importance of forests and the need for their expansion cannot be emphasised enough. Under Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, India is on course to devise a unique biodiversity conservation model through a holistic approach. India is displaying its commitment to the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems and has firm commitments towards the conservation and management of mangroves. As part of this effort, in Budget 2023-24, the Modi government, building on India’s success in afforestation, rolled out the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI). Under this scheme, mangrove plantations along the coastline and on salt pans will be taken up. The government is emphasising mangroves because this tidal forest serves as a nursery for several organisms. It also acts as a bulwark against coastal erosion, sequestering carbon and providing livelihoods to millions of people, besides harbouring an array of faunal elements in its habitat. India recently joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC), a joint initiative of Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. The world has much to gain from India’s experience in mangrove conservation because we have shown expertise in the area for nearly five decades. India has restored different types of mangrove ecosystems on the east and west coasts and learnt some valuable lessons.
Like this newsletter?  Pease consider donating to MAP to keep it going. Giving could never be easier  *Articles in this newsletter may mention practices being used and/or show exagerated results being claimed without proof. Stories are presented here in effort to show mangrove related activity around the world and do not necessarily reflect Mangrove Action Project's views or mangrove restoration best-practices. NOTICEChildrens Art Calendars 2023
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Partnering with mangrove forest communities, grassroots NGOs, researchers and local governments to conserve and restore mangrove forests and related coastal ecosystems, MAP's news blog is a recap of news stories about mangroves and mangrove related issued globally. MAP promotes community based efforts to restore hydrology and health of the mangrove ecosystem and surrounding dependent species. Articles in this newsletter aid researchers and others by providing latest news about mangrove issues.
Saturday, March 25, 2023
MAP News Issue #568 - March 25, 2023
Saturday, March 11, 2023
MAP News Issue #567 March 10, 2023
The MAP News
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SAVE THE DATE
Join a live celebration for the International Day of Forests online on 21 March SPECIAL PODCAST Costing the Earth Where do the prawns in your takeaway curry or pad thai come from? Peter Hadfield travels to South-East Asia to investigate the environmental impact of prawn farming. Listen Here
We Need To Bring Mangroves Back – But Do We Know How?
 GLOBAL - Mangroves are havens for biodiversity, and living dikes that help shield against storms and waves that are growing ever stronger in a warming climate. And yet, they remain one of the world’s most threatened tropical ecosystems; we’ve lost over 35% of the world’s total in two recent decades, largely due to clearing of mangroves for aquaculture, agriculture, urban development and timber. That’s why there’s rising interest from governments, nonprofits and local communities around the world in rebuilding these vital systems. But such endeavors often fail. In the Philippines, for instance, less than 20% of planted saplings survive, on average, while a large-scale study estimated a median survival rate of roughly 50%. Now University of Ruhuna botanist Sunanda Kodikara and other scientists are increasingly urging organizers to abandon old approaches to regrowing mangroves and the misdirected incentives that drive them. Instead, they argue for a science-based approach that takes into account the forests’ sensitive ecology and tendency to regenerate naturally, and the needs of people who live around them. As coastal and marine ecologist Catherine Lovelock of the University of Queensland in Australia notes, “We all understand exactly how you grow a mangrove forest, and it’s been known for quite some time.” The problem, she says, has much more to do with people than with science.
AFRICA
Pastoralist women unbowed despite suffering wrought by climate crisis KENYA - Kenya marked International Women's Day with pomp and pageantry, as senior officials acknowledged the critical role of the female gender in the realization of the sustainability agenda, peace and stability. President William Ruto reiterated his administration's commitment to achieving gender parity in all spheres of public service, to ensure Kenya becomes a modern, prosperous and inclusive society. Ruto noted that women's contribution will be key to helping the country confront pressing challenges like climate-induced hunger crisis and economic downturn that threatens long-term stability. Sadia Hussein, a grassroots mobilizer from the coastal county of Tana River which is also reeling from an acute drought, said that women's active involvement in confronting the climate crisis has provided some respite to nomads and subsistence farmers in her backyard. Hussein cited female-led mangrove restoration projects in the wider coastal region as game changers, strengthening communities' resilience to climate change through stabilizing fisheries and agriculture.
Niger Delta mangroves in ‘grave danger’ from oil spills, poverty, invasive species
 NIGERIA - Nigeria reportedly has 206 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, and the world’s 10th-largest reserve of crude oil, amounting to around 25 billion barrels. Oil contributed 7.24% of Nigeria’s GDP in 2021, and oil exports continues to dominate the country’s foreign exchange earnings. Growing evidence, however, suggests that the pursuit of oil is at the heart of irreversible ecosystem damage affecting people and mangroves alike. In the past decade alone, there were more than 8,636 oil spill incidents, which released a combined 385,909 barrels of oil into the surrounding environment, according to data from Nigeria’s National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA). The ongoing spills, regulatory agencies say, are a result of leaks from old and unserviced pipelines, as well as artisanal oil refining operations. Significant leaks also come from oil “bunkering,” a form of oil theft in which pipelines are punctured and oil illicitly diverted to unauthorized destinations. This diverted crude, known as “dirty fuel,” is refined and sold in Nigeria’s booming black market. “The mangrove forests of the Niger Delta are among the most degraded in the world,” said Nenibarini Zabbey, professor of biomonitoring and restoration ecology at the University of Port Harcourt’s Department of Fisheries.AMERICASA Health Check for South American Mangroves GUYANA - Mangroves are a crucial protector against climate change's effects in Guyana's low-lying coastal regions. In addition to being rich habitats for wildlife in this northern South American country, these swampy forests help block floods and pounding surf as sea levels rise and storms intensify due to climate change. Mangroves also help stop erosion, prevent saltwater from seeping into agricultural soils, and act as a carbon sink, absorbing more carbon than most inland rainforests. To ensure that these habitats stay healthy, the Mangrove Monitoring Service was launched in July 2022 by SERVIR, a joint program of NASA and the U.S. Agency of International Development. This new monitoring effort is in collaboration with Guyana’s National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute and the University of Guyana. It measures the height and density of mangrove forests by using NASA satellites that bounce radar signals off the planet’s surface. When these lasers hit mangroves’ leaves and branches, the radar signals come backscattered. When the radar signals bounce back more smoothly, it can warn local experts that a section of forest might be sick, or even deforested entirely. The Mangrove Monitoring Service also uses imagery from other NASA satellites, and this bird’s eye view of the forests further helps spot places where forest is being lost.
Meet Jaragua´s galliwasp: New mangrove lizard species discovered by Dominican project partners
 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Seacology’s efforts to protect mangrove forests in the Dominican Republic can claim a lot of milestones: a dozen projects, our national initiative to engage the public about the importance of these ecosystems, educational events, a sports-and-conservation program that have reached thousands of kids, and more. But it’s not every day we can say we were involved in the discovery of a new species. Late last year, biologist Miguel Landestoy and his colleagues were observing reptiles around Oviedo Lagoon as part of a survey organized by Grupo Jaragua, our national project partner. The researchers were collecting data on the biodiversity of the mangrove area, to aid in the development of informational materials for a public outreach campaign (known locally as Campaña ManglarES). While exploring Cayo Iguana—a small cay in the lagoon named for its abundant population of rhinoceros iguanas—something new caught their attention. A medium-sized brown lizard was scurrying among the rocks, fallen leaves, and twisting mangrove roots. A less knowledgeable observer might have mistaken it for one of its close cousins like the common Hispaniolan galliwasp (one of a group of ground lizards locally known as lucias). But Landestoy and his colleagues noticed its larger ear openings and webbed toes, and realized they might be looking at something new.
Regulating mangrove responsibility causes confusion  USA - A couple weeks ago, a local resident, Justin Moore, made his way to his favorite fishing spot along the Sarasota Bay on Longboat Key. Upon arriving, he realized he was not confident he was in the right spot. He quickly noticed what led to his confusion was the lack of mangroves that had characterized the spot for years. Knowing their importance, he made a call to resident and chairman of the Suncoast Waterkeeper, Rusty Chinnis. Chinnis recalled Moore classifying it as a disorienting experience as the mangroves have acted as a landmark for his fishing excursions for years. “(Suncoast Waterkeeper) has gotten very involved in mangrove protection because we’ve seen a lot of mangrove destruction recently, particularly in Manatee County,” he said. Mangroves are tropical plants that are adapted to loose, wet soils, salt water and being periodically submerged by tides. They provide a slew of benefits including fish habitats, seabird protection, water quality improvements and shoreline protection from storm surges, which is why the state regulates their trimming or removal.
ASIA As livelihoods clash with development, Vietnam’s Cần Giờ mangroves are at risk
 VIET NAM - At night, waves crash into the rocky barricades running along the coast of Cần Giờ, a refuge of mangroves and beaches in the southernmost reaches of Ho Chi Minh City. As the sun rises, the waves recede, leaving a damp but navigable plain stretching 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) offshore. For about 30 years, Thiệu has risen as the water ebbs to search the shores for small holes in the sand where clams are likely burrowed. Twice a year, he’ll bring a sack of pinhead-sized baby clams and place them on the shore, in hopes that they’ll grow into larger shells he can harvest in a few months. But if one of Vietnam’s biggest corporations carries through with its plans, Thieu and the fleet of clam collectors along this beach will lose their livelihoods, and Cần Giờ’s longest stretch of coastline will be filled with sand and sculpted into luxury tourism resorts and housing. Cần Giờ’s mangrove forests and beaches have made the district a “green lung” for the pulsating city. The 75,740-hectare (187,158-acre) forest serves as a crucial carbon sink, a defense against surging seas, and a place for urban tourists to shed their stress and tension. At present, visitors arrive from the city by ferry, staying in small towns tucked into the mangroves and driven by aquaculture and small-scale tourism.Meet the UAE’s first female aircraft engineer who created a mangrove forest
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/thenational/2PVYY4ZI55FEVBMIKLI3HA3I54.JPG "eng-suaad-al-shamsi") UAE - The first female Emirati aircraft engineer, who has spread her wings within the traditionally male-dominated aviation sector, is also making an impact on the ground by planting mangroves in the UAE. When the country announced its ambition to plant 100 million mangroves by 2030, Eng Suaad Al Shamsi, a senior programme manager with Etihad Airways, came up with an initiative to offset the airline’s carbon footprint and address climate change. “It came to my mind: 'Why don’t we plant a mangrove and people can adopt it?'” says Al Shamsi, who is a mother of two young boys. Last February, the Etihad Mangrove Forest launched on Jubail Island in Abu Dhabi, with Al Shamsi planting the first tree. Since then, thousands of mangroves have been planted. “We have an application through which people can adopt a mangrove, visit the mangrove, 'chat' with it and see how it's growing,” she says. One mangrove tree absorbs 12.3kg of carbon dioxide in a year and more than 300kg over its lifetime.
Like this newsletter? Pease consider donating to MAP to keep it going. Giving could never be easier *Articles in this newsletter may mention practices being used and/or show exagerated results being claimed without proof. Stories are presented here in effort to show mangrove related activity around the world and do not necessarily reflect Mangrove Action Project's views or mangrove restoration best-practices. NOTICEChildrens Art Calendars 2023
ORDER YOURS HERE
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