MAP News Issue #574 - June 17, 2023

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The MAP News 574th Edition                                                  June 17, 2023

Petition – Ecuador: Stop land grabbing and racial discrimination for palm oil!   FEATURED STORY Chinampas technique used to restore El Salvador’s largest mangrove forest   EL SALVADOR - A group of 18 young men and women are employing a technique known as “chinampas” to restore a mangrove forest that lines the shores of the Jiquilisco Bay Biosphere Reserve, the largest saltwater wetland ecosystem in El Salvador and all of Central America. The work has involved installing more than 300 chinampas, or floating islands, which are made from bamboo stakes and biodegradable vegetable material and are a technique first used centuries ago by the Aztecs to grow crops on shallow lake beds in the Valley of Mexico. Mangrove forests in El Salvador are located all along the country’s Pacific coastal region, among the most important of which are those of La Union Bay, Jiquilisco Bay (both in the eastern zone), the Jaltepeque wetland complex (central zone) and the Barra de Santiago wetland (western zone). According to the Environment Ministry, 60 percent of El Salvador’s mangrove forest cover was lost between 1950 and 2013, falling from 100,000 hectares (386 square miles) to 40,000 hectares. That reduction was the result of pollution, deforestation, agricultural expansion, aquaculture projects and urban and tourist development. Jiquilisco Bay was declared a Ramsar site (a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention) in October 2005. That biosphere reserve covers an area of more than 63,000 hectares and contains the largest mangrove estuary in El Salvador, as well as numerous bays, canals, beaches, islands, woodlands and a complex of freshwater lagoons. GLOBAL   Getting to the root of mangrove RNA isolation       GLOBAL - The secondary metabolite content in mangrove roots can interfere with RNA extraction, making it unsuitable for downstream applications. In response, scientists from the Central University of Kerala (India) recently published an optimized method for isolating high-quality RNA from mangrove root tissue by modifying an existing RNA-isolation protocol. Mangroves are a staple of shorelines across the globe and provide important environmental services to both humans and the natural environment, including the prevention of coastal erosion, sequestering carbon dioxide, and acting as habitats for a wide variety of species. Another iconic feature of mangroves is their ability to thrive in harsh intertidal zones. As mangrove forests are in decline worldwide, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; Gland, Switzerland) performed the first global assessment of mangroves’ conservation status, finding that one in six species is under threat of extinction. Understanding their adaptive mechanisms to saline coastal environments and differences in intra-species tolerance to intertidal environments under stress will help conservation planning. Transcriptomic data can be used to help understand the pathways related to stress tolerance by providing us with the gene-expression patterns of plants under stress AFRICA Africa Needs to Monetize Its Trees to Help World Reach Net Zero   WEST AFRICA - The continent is home to the Congo Basin tropical forest, second in size only to the Amazon, and almost a quarter of the world’s mangroves. Forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, mitigating against the effects of burning fossil fuels and other sources of greenhouse gases by creating so-called carbon sinks. “When you look at Africa and say what’s the biggest bang for your buck on mitigation, it’s really not energy because we are energy starved. It’s our forest, mangroves,” Ayaan Zeinab Adam, chief executive officer of AFC Capital Partners, said in an interview on Tuesday. “We need to create value around the people who are living in those forests because that is what’s going to save the world. That’s Africa’s biggest contribution to net zero.”While some African countries, most notably Gabon, have pushed to get rewarded for their efforts to preserve forest cover, not enough has been done to monetize their natural assets, Adam said at the Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Africa conference in Marrakesh, Morocco. Her company, a unit of the African Finance Corp, is seeking to raise $2 billion for climate-resilient infrastructure funds. More effort also needs to be made to give Africans alternative cooking fuels to charcoal and wood to reduce deforestation, she added.   AMERICAS   Belize expands mangrove protection with advice from Stanford researchers  BELIZE - Following a collaboration with the Natural Capital Project, based at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, Belize updated its national contributions in 2021 under the Paris Climate Change Agreement and pledged to protect an additional 12,000 hectares of mangroves and restore an additional 4,000 hectares by 2030. Belize already protects 12,827 hectares of mangrove forest, according to the UN. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the partnership between Belize and the Natural Capital Project began in 2010. The Natural Capital Project “provides science-based evidence to help resolve conflicts between competing interests and minimize the risks to natural habitats from human activities,” according to the WWF. Researchers at the Natural Capital Project recently published a model they developed to weigh the environmental and economic tradeoffs of mangrove forest protection and restoration efforts, quantifying the benefits nature provides to society. This model in part led to the ultimate decisions by Belize regarding national contributions and mangrove preservation, according to lead author Katie Arkema. Arkema is now a senior scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and jointly appointed at the University of Washington. One mangrove at a time: A ripple effect of climate action   USA - In May of 2019, Adam Fishman co-founded Onora, a nonprofit startup company that aims to heal our planet through innovative projects that inspire change. His mission is to lead with love and spread positivity to empower people to take action. Adam seeks to allow everyone to appreciate the progress that we have made, as opposed to focusing solely on our problems. This gratitude-based learning encourages us to abandon the idea that climate change is an irreversible issue. By combatting the mental struggle that comes with preventing global warming, Adam hopes to spread Onora’s positive ripple effects across the globe. His passion for protecting the environment by leading with love is reflected in the company, which has made incredible strides through accessible programs and impressive partnerships. Onora has undertaken a variety of projects, including an Impact Fellowship for high school students, a survey to calculate individual carbon footprints and a partnership with Eden Reforestation to plant mangrove trees. Mangrove massacre wipes out Florida angler’s joy   USA - Florida likes to call itself the Fishing Capital of the World — and not because we’ve got so many fishy business folks operating here. According to the tourism promoters at Visit Florida, we rank at No. 1 in angling excellence in part because we’ve got “more than 7,700 lakes, 10,550 miles of rivers, and 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline” where you can cast a line. But what if clueless people do something so colossally stupid that they chase all the fish away? What’s that going to do to Florida’s peerless piscine standing? I heard a story last week about just such a stupid move in Port St. Lucie, and then I went in search of the fisherman who witnessed it. His name is Jim Dirks, and he’s been fishing the same stretch of water near his home for 44 years, reeling in snook, tarpon, redfish, and so on. And now, he told me, he can’t. The place he always fished was on a stretch of the St. Lucie River that was part of the North Fork St. Lucie Aquatic Preserve. It was by a development that had been a Club Med for years. The owners recently sold it to an Arizona company that renamed it the Sandpiper Bay Resort.     Aligning environmental priorities: lessons from Haiti    HAITI - Having worked on environmental issues in Haiti (often described as the poster child of what NOT to do to your environment) for over 30 years, I am often asked what can be done to stop the continued unsustainable use of resources. Working on sustainability issues with the local population is quite complex in Haiti’s current context, with an absolute need to focus on providing safety and security. Haiti is a country rich in natural beauty and cultural heritage and has been facing significant challenges in preserving its coastal and marine resources. With many unique ecosystems and fragile habitats these areas are home to a wide range of diverse marine life and provide critical livelihoods for thousands of coastal inhabitants. However, environmental degradation caused by the use of unsustainable practices, and a lack of suitable options, have placed this invaluable biodiversity at risk. Undertaking environmental education and research activities presents an excellent opportunity to inspire local communities to take action, preserve biodiversity, and raise awareness of the urgent need to protect coastal and marine ecosystems for future generations, while also providing environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative income-generating activities that would mesh into a very possible way out of this crisis.   ASIA   Indonesia pushes tourism to boost mangrove restoration    INDONESIA - Tourists in Indonesia are discovering the benefits of mangroves as the archipelago pushes to replant or conserve carbon-rich coastal areas that have been decimated by human activity. Connie Sihombing, a 50-year-old resident of Jakarta, does not mind that she can hear traffic or planes flying above as she paddles her kayak through murky waters and the arching roots of mangrove trees. "I've travelled far, yet I had no idea that close to home lies this fascinating and beautiful park," she said, referring to a protected mangrove forest along the northern coast of the capital.Mangroves in Indonesia, a country of more than 17,000 islands and miles of shoreline, have dwindled to about 4.1 million hectares (10.1 million acres) as urban development or seafood farming replaces what is a natural defence against rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion. Last year alone, the country lost 700,000 hectares of mangroves, according to Indonesia's Mangrove and Peatlands Restoration Agency (BRGM). Indonesia hopes that alongside state efforts, 'ecotourism' that involves people exploring, planting, and caring for the forests will help them understand their importance as carbon stores and biodiversity hotspots.       UAE looks to salty, muddy mangroves in climate change fight    UAE - Against the heat, urbanisation and sand of the United Arab Emirates, the placid, muddy waterways of the Gulf state's coastal mangroves are being restored and planted in an ambitious fight against climate change. Tropical mangrove forests are complex ecosystems anchored around mangrove trees that thrive in inhospitable hot, muddy and salty conditions. They protect coastal communities against storms and floods, host diverse and threatened species and can soften climate change by capturing atmospheric carbon. "What makes this species of mangrove, Avicennia Marina, in Abu Dhabi special, is the fact that they are extremely resilient to harsh conditions, they can withstand extreme high salinity and super high temperatures," said Hamad al-Jailani a scientist at the Environment Agency of the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. "This is very important in the context of climate change, as temperatures around the world increase or become less stable," he said from inside Abu Dhabi's protected mangroves, just under 40% of which are planted rather than natural. The UAE, which will host the COP28 climate summit in December, has been planting mangrove trees since its founding in the seventies and plans to plant another 100 million mangroves by 2030 on top of its current 60 million over 183 square kilometres (70 square miles) - which the climate ministry says capture 43,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually. 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. NOTICE Childrens Art Calendars 2024  CONTEST NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS   ACTION ALERTS Ecuador: Stop land grabbing and racial discrimination for palm oil!  SIGN THE PETITION UGANDA Stop criminalizing pipeline protesters! SIGN THE PETITION Save Endangered Species From SpaceX Urge SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration to do more to protect Boca Chica and its wildlife. SIGN THE PETITION Do not sacrifice Congo's rainforests to the oil industry! TAKE ACTION TAKE MAP SURVEY Please see the survey questionnaire we at MAP put together to discover where the shrimp industry is still having major adverse effects on mangroves and local communities. TAKE THE SURVEY Stop this total madness  Stop the biggest heated oil pipeline in the world -- right through the heart of Africa! CLICK HERE Like this newsletter? Pease consider donating to MAP to keep it going. Giving could never be easier MAP Website en Español haga clic aqui 13 Year old Linda Li "Mangrove Adventure" from Kid Dream Art School WATCH NOW Restoring The Natural Mangrove Forest Watch movie Community Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration in Rufiji Delta VIEW VIDEO   MANGROVE ISSUES  Want to learn more about mangroves? Our short presentation will give you a better understanding of the issues we are working to solve. WATCH PRESENTATION What is CBEMR? Download MAP's 2 page CBEMR Information Sheet containing links to all MAP's CBEMR resources CLICK HERE View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAP Video Gallery Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign!  WATCH VIDEO Mangroves: Guidebook to Malaysia Click Here SHARE MAP'S VISION CLICK HERE to watch short introductory video. Together we can work "at the roots of the sea". Our short documentary, Reducing the Risk of Disaster through Nature-Based Solutions : Mangroves   Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum The Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum begins with a simple philosophy – getting future generations to not only learn about, but understand the importance of mangrove forests. VISIT   Marvellous Mangroves – A Curriculum-Based Teachers Guide. 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.

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MAP News Issue #573 - June 3, 2023

The MAP News 573rd Edition                                                  June 3, 2023

FEATURED STORY   The world’s biggest island country battles coastal erosion   INDONESIA - We are experiencing a dangerous decline in nature: One million species are threatened with extinction, soils are turning infertile and water sources are drying up. But there are glimmers of hope: Made up of over 17,000 islands, Indonesia is the world’s biggest archipelago. Through climate related sea level rise, its shores are sinking. Fishing communities are now pioneering an ingenious solution to the challenge. Learn how they turn the tides. UN Environmental Programs provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and its people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.   GLOBAL From mangroves to fjords, coastal ecosystems can take up or emit greenhouse gases. But globally, they're a vital sink       GLOBAL - Coastal ecosystems can absorb or emit the three main greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. We explored how coasts in ten regions of the world differ in greenhouse gas uptake and emissions. Our research published today in Nature Climate Change finds that, globally, our coastal ecosystems are a net greenhouse gas sink, but smaller emissions of potent methane and nitrous oxide gases reduce some of the carbon dioxide uptake. We found coasts in Europe and Russia are net emitters, while coasts in Southeast Asia and North America have a large uptake of these gases. Like upland forests and rainforests, ecosystems like coastal wetlands can take up atmospheric CO₂ and turn it into new leaves, roots and other organic matter. When some of this carbon is stored long-term in deep sediments, it can help battle rising CO₂ levels in our atmosphere. The coastal net greenhouse gas uptake should not be confused with carbon storage. Only part of the coastal greenhouse gas uptake is stored long-term in coastal sediments, while another part is transported to the ocean where it might be stored or released back to the atmosphere. AFRICA The critical role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities   KENYA - Research has shown that Indigenous peoples and local communities can and often do play a critical role in conserving biodiversity, and that their territories contain high levels of biodiversity. However, many Indigenous peoples are facing threats to their land rights, including land grabbing and forced evictions, for development projects, extractive industries or even for conservation initiatives. “As Indigenous Peoples, we have been custodians of our lands, territories and waters for millennia and have deep interaction with the ecosystems where we live. Evidence shows our lands are among the most biodiverse on the planet,” said Lakpa Nuri Sherpa, Indigenous leader from Nepal. For example, a recent IPBES sustainability report released in 2022, found that policies supporting secure tenure rights for indigenous peoples, and equitable access to land, fisheries and forests, as well as poverty alleviation, create enabling conditions for sustainable use of wild species. Effective global biodiversity and conservation policy requires a human rights-based approach The importance of the contributions and leadership of indigenous peoples and local communities in achieving biodiversity goals was also emphasized by Lucy Mulenkei, an Indigenous leader from Kenya, ahead of the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by the Convention on Biological Diversity in December 2022.   AMERICAS   New Coastal Lagoon Education Guide Launched  CAYMAN ISLANDS - The Mangrove Education Project (MEP) launched its new curriculum of the Cayman Islands Coastal Education Guide (CEG) at a Cayman teachers’ workshop on 27 March. Some 20 teachers from Edna Moyle and Theoline L McCoy primary schools attended the workshop as part of their March Professional Development (PD) day. Held at the National Trust’s Clubhouse, the workshop featured the 200-page guide which covers the interrelated coastal lagoon ecosystems of mangroves, seagrass and reefs, several hands-on activities, and an introduction to the CLE’s new website. The website carries an extensive inventory of teaching resources ranging from the CLE Guide itself, the original Marvellous Mangroves guide and PowerPoints to background resources including in-depth studies and a series of specially made “how to” videos with simple instructions on carrying out activities. “The CLE website - https://www.coastallagoon.org - enhances the curriculum and teaching efficacy and will monitor the children’s uptake of the material. The site is constantly being updated,” explains MEP executive director, Martin Keeley. “Plans are underway to also add monitoring and evaluation links of the educational curriculum. Advancing Understanding of Mangrove Range Dynamics in the Southeastern USA   USA - Climate change is altering species’ range limits and transforming ecosystems. For example, warming temperatures are leading to the range expansion of tropical, cold-sensitive species at the expense of their cold-tolerant counterparts. In some temperate and subtropical coastal wetlands, warming winters are enabling mangrove forest encroachment into salt marsh, which is a major regime shift that has significant ecological and societal ramifications. Here, we synthesized existing data and expert knowledge to assess the distribution of mangroves near rapidly changing range limits in the southeastern USA. We used expert elicitation to identify data limitations and highlight knowledge gaps for advancing understanding of past, current, and future range dynamics. Mangroves near poleward range limits are often shorter, wider, and more shrublike compared to their tropical counterparts that grow as tall forests in freeze-free, resource-rich environments. Women in Guyana plant mangroves to battle rising seas    GUYANA - A small group of Indigenous women in northern Guyana are the latest weapon in the fight against climate change in this South American country where 90% of the population lives below sea level. Armed with drones, the women are scanning mangrove forests for illegal cutting and expect to soon start collecting soil samples and mangrove litter to measure the carbon held in remote coastal ecosystems that have long been out of reach for scientists. Such data could nudge the government to create policies and programs to protect critical areas. “We are merging traditional knowledge and scientific research to get all this information that we need but never had before and couldn’t afford to get,” said Annette Arjoon-Martins, head of Guyana’s Marine Conservation Society. The women’s efforts are considered key for Guyana, a small nation about the size of Britain that has a 285-mile-long coastline whose coastal plains lie an average of 6 feet below sea level. The coastline depends on a centuries-old sea defense system created by the Dutch during the colonial era. It includes a 280-mile seawall and relies on dozens of workers who set alarms night and day to manually open and close sluice gates known as “kokers” that prevent the Atlantic Ocean from flooding Guyana.     Mangrove Cuckoo makes 'rare' appearance in Galveston for first time since 1982    USA - Fort Worth birder Parker Allie created huge excitement in the birding community with his sighting of the first Mangrove Cuckoo in the Galveston area since 1982. Galveston Island posted about the "extremely rare" sighting that occurred over the weekend on Saturday, May 13. The Mangrove Cuckoo is among the most secretive and poorly known North American birds, according to the American Bird Conservancy. Within the United States, this tropical bird can be found only in dense mangroves along the southern coasts of Florida. Outside of its small range in Florida, the Mangrove Cuckoo is widespread from northern Mexico south through the West Indies and Central America to South America. The birds rarely stray from Mexico north into Texas and the Gulf Coast. "This cuckoo went coo-coo making a rare appearance in Texas," Texas Parks and Wildlife posted on Facebook. The Great Texas Birding Classic, the biggest and longest birdwatching tournament in the United States, posted about the sighting as well. The organization said it was a great way to end the tournament and just in time for World Migratory Bird Day, which was on May 13. Although there is scant information on Mangrove Cuckoo population trends, the species appears to be declining in the United States, according to the American Bird Conservancy. The conservancy estimates a global breeding population of 200,000. Of these, about 40% are found in Mexico.   ASIA   Andhra Pradesh to bolster mangrove cover along the coast    INDIA - To tackle climate change, the Centre has decided to scale up mangrove forest cover in coastal states. The project titled as ‘Mission Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Income’ (Mishti) has been designed giving thrust to enhance resilience of coasts for protection of coastal life, livelihood and infrastructure against climate change impacts. This is going to be a big game-changer for ecological balance particularly in Andhra Pradesh (AP), the worst victim of cyclones and floods.With the Centre giving green signal to link NREGS to take up compensatory afforestation programme, the state government has prepared plans to increase mangrove forest cover along the coast under the new scheme. AP has the third largest mangrove cover among the coastal states. The state government will launch the five-year project to reclaim mangrove forest in eight locations.     OCEANA Future climate change will increase risk to mangrove health in Northern Australia    AUSTRALIA - Mangroves of the wet-dry tropical Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia, survive in a harsh environment. One of the worst recorded mangrove dieback events occurred during the El Niño of 2015 following an extreme, two-year sea level drop, illustrating that enhanced climate variability can exacerbate major stressors for these ecosystems. As well as sea level variability, maximum daily temperatures in the Gulf of Carpentaria are also linked to climate variability and change, and may play an important role in overall mangrove health. Here we address how these two factors: sea level variability and maximum daily temperatures, are projected to change under several future emissions scenarios. Climate projections from the sixth generation of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project indicate an increased occurrence of anomalously low and high sea level events in the coming century. This, alongside enhanced temperature stress, is likely to significantly increase risk to mangrove health in this region. The rate of increase of low and high sea level events, and high temperature events, is scenario-dependent, and is largest for a high-emissions scenario. This study addresses how stressors, particularly extreme sea level variability and Tmax, are projected to change in future and whether increased variability in El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) might contribute to further stress.   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. NOTICE Childrens Art Calendars 2024  CONTEST NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS   ACTION ALERTS UGANDA Stop criminalizing pipeline protesters! SIGN THE PETITION Save Endangered Species From SpaceX Urge SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration to do more to protect Boca Chica and its wildlife. SIGN THE PETITION Do not sacrifice Congo's rainforests to the oil industry! TAKE ACTION TAKE MAP SURVEY Please see the survey questionnaire we at MAP put together to discover where the shrimp industry is still having major adverse effects on mangroves and local communities. TAKE THE SURVEY Stop this total madness  Stop the biggest heated oil pipeline in the world -- right through the heart of Africa! CLICK HERE Like this newsletter? Pease consider donating to MAP to keep it going. Giving could never be easier MAP Website en Español haga clic aqui 13 Year old Linda Li "Mangrove Adventure" from Kid Dream Art School WATCH NOW Restoring The Natural Mangrove Forest Watch movie Community Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration in Rufiji Delta VIEW VIDEO   MANGROVE ISSUES  Want to learn more about mangroves? Our short presentation will give you a better understanding of the issues we are working to solve. WATCH PRESENTATION What is CBEMR? Download MAP's 2 page CBEMR Information Sheet containing links to all MAP's CBEMR resources CLICK HERE View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAP Video Gallery Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign!  WATCH VIDEO Mangroves: Guidebook to Malaysia Click Here SHARE MAP'S VISION CLICK HERE to watch short introductory video. Together we can work "at the roots of the sea". Our short documentary, Reducing the Risk of Disaster through Nature-Based Solutions : Mangroves   Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum The Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum begins with a simple philosophy – getting future generations to not only learn about, but understand the importance of mangrove forests. VISIT   Marvellous Mangroves – A Curriculum-Based Teachers Guide. 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.

Mangrove Action Project Click here to view past newsletters