MAP News Issue #597 - May 04, 2024

Sediments and mangroves NEW ZEALAND - The rapid expansion of mangrove forests in NZ estuaries over the last several decades has resulted in large-scale and permanent environmental changes. Effects include increased displacement/loss of other estuarine habitats such as salt marshes, sand flats and shellfish beds; impacts on navigation and recreational use; and changes in aesthetics and natural character of estuaries. However, some large areas of newly formed tidal flat above mean sea level have still not been colonised, even decades later. Whether or not mangrove forests are accelerating sedimentation and thereby influencing the long-term development of New Zealand estuaries is being addressed based on observations made over a range of timescales relevant to mangrove-forest ecosystems. Much of this work is being conducted in the southern Firth of Thames, where mangroves have colonised 11 km2 since the early 1950s. This site has yielded a number of insights into processes controlling mangrove forest development, largely because the system is evolving very rapidly and measurable environmental changes are occurring over timescales of weeks to months. For example, the sediment accumulation rate has averaged several centimetres per year, as opposed to the several millimetres per year observed in most New Zealand estuaries. Sediment cores collected from the Firth mangrove forest thus contain highly detailed records of environmental change over time. On a day-to-day basis, the interplay of tides, weather, and river flows controls the supply of sediments to mangrove forests. Waves resuspend intertidal-flat sediments and rivers discharge eroded soils into estuaries. Tides as well as weather conditions are also important because they control the frequency and duration of inundation (called the hydroperiod) and consequently sediment delivery to mangrove forests. READ MORE Earth Today | Great mangrove clean-up JAMAICA - Hundreds of volunteers from corporate Jamaica and schools, including Tivoli High School and Campion College, together with ScotiaFoundation and other stakeholders turned out to the Great Mangrove Clean-up along the Kingston Harbour.The Great Mangrove Cleanup Project aims was to remove waste from the Kingston Harbour’s mangroves. In collaboration with the Grace Kennedy Foundation and other corporate entities, the  team worked to clear plastic waste and other garbage at the Sigarny Beach in the vicinity of Rae Town on April 27. Hosted in recognition of Earth Week, the cleanup initiative is a phase of the Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project to clear the legacy waste materials that have washed ashore and occupied the mangrove forests and the shoreline of the southern coast, before the installation of waste-trapping technologies in seven of the most polluted gullies that feed into the harbour. Audrey Tugwell Henry, President and CEO, Scotia Group Jamaica and director of the Scotia Foundation lauded organisers and volunteers for their significant contribution to the restoration of the environment. READ MORE PRC, Bohol communities plant mangroves to mark Earth Day PILIPPINES - THE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) launched its mangrove restoration initiative in Bonkokan Ubos in Lila, Bohol last April 22, planting over 1,200 mangrove plants along the community's coastline. The project was part of the organization's observance of Earth Day and nationwide call for the utilization of naturebased solutions to mitigate climate change. Mangroves are critically important to the ecosystem, as they provide habitat for thousands of aquatic animals, stabilize coastlines, and protect communities from storm surges and coastal flooding. PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard "Dick" Gordon has always reiterated the importance of collaboration and working with nature to build community resilience and foster sustainability, saying, "One way to empower communities and strengthen their capacity is to build partnership with them; involve them in the discussion, planning and solution processes." This initiative is part of PRC's Greening Red Cross Red Crescent disaster risk reduction: Saving lives through working with nature project, supported by the American Red Cross and with a broader mission to use nature based solutions to strengthen the communities' resilience against natural hazards and cultivate a culture of environmental stewardship and ownership among communities. READ MORE Five-year mangrove research project launched in Suva FIJI - A five-year mangrove research and rejuvenation program ‘Project Halophyte’ has been launched in Suva with support from Swire Shipping. Project Halophyte will develop innovative floating mangrove pontoons and undertake environmental restoration in partnership with local communities along the coast.The collaboration between UNSW Sydney and the University of the South Pacific, led by UNSW’s Dr Andrew Dansie and Professor Will Glamore, is being undertaken in conjunction with UNSW’s societal impact framework. The project seeks to improve the world by progressing environmental sustainability and resilience, social cohesion, health, and wellbeing, and economic prosperity for all. Project Halophyte will see up to 40 PhD students, early-career researchers, and academic supervisors from Australia and Fiji collaborate with local communities in a long-term project to restore mangrove growth and aquatic systems. Assistant Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Sakiusa Tubuna says the futuristic vision behind this partnership is set to not only benefit Fiji as the pilot country but also have a positive impact across the region. READ MORE Mangrove forestry only sustainable when conservation zones respected: Study MALAYSIA - The need to preserve mangroves and the ecosystem services they sustain, while also providing for the social and economic needs of the people who depend on them, is one of coastal conservation’s greatest conundrums. Now, new research based on long-term data from a mangrove production forest in Malaysia suggests that, in some cases, it is possible to reconcile mangrove protection with resource needs — but only when the correct management is implemented and enforced. The study, published in Journal for Nature Conservation, evaluated more than a century of 10-year forestry management plans from Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, one of the world’s longest-managed reserves of its kind, to investigate the drivers behind recent changes in mangrove biomass and productivity. Timber poles from Rhizophora mangroves like those in Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve are in high demand in Southeast Asia and Africa, the study says, due to their durability, pest resistance and utility as a building material. Most of the timber poles produced at the reserve are distributed to local markets in Peninsular Malaysia and roughly 80% of its total charcoal production is exported to Japan for use in barbecuing, tea making and water purifying. READ MORE Mangroves: we used freely-available satellite images to track climate-resilient forests MAURITIUS - Mauritius relies heavily on its coast as a source of income. That’s why it’s crucial to be able to take quick action to protect itself and handle the impacts of climate change. Mangroves have long been recognised as a natural way to mitigate such threats. We used freely available satellite images to track them in Mauritius, which could eventually help support the island’s efforts to adapt to a changing climate. We collected GPS coordinates of mangroves at two sites, Le Morne in the south and Ferney in the south east. Le Morne is a fairly new mangrove plantation site within sandy beaches. Mangroves at Ferney have grown naturally, are mature and grow mainly along the muddy banks of the Champagne River. We then retrieved free satellite images from the Earth orbiting satellites SPOT-5 for the year 2013 and Sentinel 2A for 2023. We analysed the data with user-friendly software that did not require programming skills. We trained and tested our model using the field data we collected and obtained results with accuracy of 90% and above compared to data gathered on the ground. READ MORE Everything you need to know about Dubai Mangroves megaproject DUBAI - The UAE is filled with record-breaking megaprojects. Now, it is set to welcome the world’s largest coastal regeneration project, Dubai Mangroves. URB is behind the development, which will span 72 kilometres of coastline and be home to more than 100 million mangrove trees. Dubai Mangroves is being created in line with the Dubai 2040 Master Plan. As mangroves have the unique ability to protect coastal areas and support marine life, the project combines ecological preservation with urban development. Plus, it aims to counteract the rising sea levels and embark on one of the world’s largest regeneration efforts.  "This project is much more than coastal regeneration or resilience. It’s about setting a global standard for how cities can balance the needs of the planet with the needs of the people," URB CEO Baharash Bagherian explained. Dubai Mangroves will be home to a Botanical Museum, Mangrove Visitor Hub and Nature Reserve Conservation Centre. Plus, the site brings together beaches, guided nature walks and social spaces. The Botanical Museum will educate visitors about the role of plants in the eco system, and include exhibitions, seminars and workshops. The Mangrove Visitor Hub is an interactive centre with displays, guided tours and programmes for school children as well as tourists. READ MORE Not a subscriber? Click to subscribe MANGROVE PHOTO CONTEST NOW OPEN MAP has launched our 10th Mangrove Photography Awards. The competition invites photographers of all ages and levels to submit images that showcase the beauty, diversity and fragility of mangrove forests worldwide.     Want to learn more about mangroves? VISIT MANGROVEACTIONPROJECT.ORG ACTION ALERTS   Help Save the Mangroves Mangrove Action Project relies on the generosity of donors to do our urgent work. Whether it’s a one-time or monthly commitment, your contributions make a real difference in safeguarding these critical ecosystems.   FIght the Marine Bitumen Spill   Tanzania corals and mangroves threatened   Please sign: Save Murchison Falls!   Ecuador: Stop land grabbing and racial discrimination for palm oil!     Mangrove Action Project Report MAP is proud of our annual accomplishments and financial health for 2022. Check out a global map of the places we're working, and highlights from all of our programs. Thank you to our many supporters who made this work possible, and to all of our friends and partners working to protect mangrove forests, worldwide. READ MORE

MAP News Issue #596 = April 20, 2024

ENTRIES NOW OPEN! Mangrove Photography Awards 2024 10 Years Celebrating Mangroves   GLOBAL - MAP has launched our 10th Mangrove Photography Awards. The competition invites photographers of all ages and levels to submit images that showcase the beauty, diversity and fragility of mangrove forests worldwide. Mangroves are one of the world’s most critical ecosystems – and one of the most threatened. Their ability to store up to five times more carbon in soil compared to tropical inland forests makes them among our most powerful nature-based solutions to the climate crisis. Yet today, less than half the world’s original mangrove forest cover remains. In an effort to highlight the importance of mangrove forests and the threats they and coastal communities relying on them face, the annual Awards aims to catalyse conservation and restoration efforts for these complex ecosystems. By drawing on the power of visual storytelling, we can deepen peoples’ understanding of the importance of mangroves and ways we can continue to protect them. There are 5 single image categories that appeal to a range of interests and approaches – Wildlife, People, Landscape, Threats and Underwater – as well as Conservation Stories, a multiple image category allowing photographers to tell powerful narratives related to mangrove habitats.  READ MORE MAP film maker once again recognized for outstanding documentary Return of the Mangroves follows the Mangrove Action Project (MAP) team to El Salvador to assess the health of mangroves in the Bay of Jiquilisco. MAP Co-Founder Alfredo Quarto and Jim Enright return to the bay 12 years after they conducted a mangrove restoration training, and with the help of Dr Laura Michie discover the impact of the training on the local people and the mangroves of the bay. The documentary, created by MAP’s creative director, Leo Thom, was recently named Best Documentary at the Wildsound Festival. To date the documentary has been selected to be screened at eight film festivals around the world. The film focusses on the Bay of Jiquilisco, the largest mangrove forest in Central America, and explores the impact of the reforestation training on the people and the mangroves of the bay. In 2018 Thom won the Good Natured Conservation Optimism short film festival's Best Student Film Award for his film The Wondrous Mangrove Forest. READ MORE Biologists Find 700 Species Of Wildlife In Cambodian Mangrove Jungles CAMBODIA - Mangrove jungles in Cambodia are nothing less than preserved treasures to discover a wide array of different species of wildlife. Rich in flora and fauna, Cambodian mangroves surprised a team of biologists with the huge numbers of species found. A recent biodiversity survey conducted in a mangrove jungle in Cambodia unveiled the presence of hundreds of wildlife species. The research was organised at the Peam Krasop sanctuary. The recently conducted biodiversity survey shed light on the huge numbers of species of wildlife living in these habitats in Cambodia. The biologists discovered about 700 species of wildlife in these mangrove forests, according to a report by The Times of India. The findings are indeed one-of-a-kind and surprising for the researchers, to say the least. Fauna & Flora International sponsored this biodiversity survey in the mangrove jungles in Cambodia, according to a report by The Guardian. It unveiled the presence of more than hundreds of species of birds, insects, bats, and fishes.  READ MORE Mighty Mangroves: Forest Service Researchers Help Conserve Coastal Guardians in Micronesia MICRONESIA - Mangroves help curb climate change, create wildlife habitat, and protect communities. And Pacific Southwest Research Station ecologist Rich MacKenzie’s mission is to promote their conservation. MacKenzie’s research focuses on mangroves in Micronesia, which includes Palau, the Marshall Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. This region’s area of ocean is equivalent to the size of the continental U.S., and the land mass could fit within Rhode Island. “Mangroves here colonize coastlines, and their optimal elevation level is just above mean or average tide. They thrive outside of water on the exposed forest floor,” MacKenzie stated. Superstars of carbon absorption, mangroves fall under the umbrella of blue carbon, which includes wetlands, sea grass, and the ocean. These critical carbon sinks sustain a healthy planet. “I’m particularly proud to work for the Forest Service, because it is leading the way in blue carbon research and mangroves are a big part of that. Forest Service funding and a grant from U.S. Geological Survey’s Pacific Island Climate Adaptation Science Center is helping make mangrove research possible,” MacKenzie stated.  READ MORE Abandoned fishpond areas to be restored as mangroves PHILIPPINES - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the immediate assessment of abandoned, undeveloped and underutilized (AUU) areas for fishpond purposes, beginning in the regions of Bicol, Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula. DENR Memorandum Order 2024-01 signed by Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga calls for data-sharing between DENR offices and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on restoring mangroves which are vital in the defense against flooding and extreme weather events and in improving climate actions. The order covers fishpond areas released by the DENR to the BFAR in the 1970s. The order is in accordance with Presidential Directive No. 2023-296 on the Review of Areas with Fishpond Lease Agreements (FLA) that are AUU. The order also seeks recommendations to transfer the administrative control over AUU fishpond areas under FLA and biophysical reversion from BFAR to the DENR. This involves the process of putting back damaged components of the mangrove forest from fishpond to mangrove state through methods such as replanting, enrichment planting and assisted regeneration. READ MORE Uncovering potential mangrove microbial bioindicators to assess urban and agricultural pressures on Martinique island MARTINIQUE - Martinique's mangroves, which cover 1.85 ha of the island (<0.1 % of the total area), are considerably vulnerable to local urban, agricultural, and industrial pollutants. Unlike for temperate ecosystems, there are limited indicators that can be used to assess the anthropogenic pressures on mangroves. This study investigated four stations on Martinique Island, with each being subject to varying anthropogenic pressures. An analysis of mangrove sediment cores approximately 18 cm in depth revealed two primary types of pressures on Martinique mangroves: (i) an enrichment in organic matter in the two stations within the highly urbanized bay of Fort-de-France and (ii) agricultural pressure observed in the four studied mangrove stations. This pressure was characterized by contamination, exceeding the regulatory thresholds, with dieldrin, total DDT, and metals (As, Cu and Ni) found in phytosanitary products. The mangroves of Martinique are subjected to varying degrees of anthropogenic pressure, but all are subjected to contamination by organochlorine pesticides.  READ MORE Rising seas and warming weather threaten vulnerable native flora and fauna in Singapore SINGAPORE: Rising sea levels and warming weather could potentially mark the end of vulnerable native animals and plants that call Singapore home. A recent climate projection citing progressively hotter days and the inevitable rise of the mean sea level has painted a gloomy picture for the flora and fauna at risk.Conservation advocates are sounding the alarm on the increasing threat to these habitats and the species within them, and calling for a nation-wide effort to reduce carbon emissions and protect the precious pockets of nature.Ecosystems in low-lying areas are particularly susceptible to rising tides brought by climate change. Among them are Singapore's mangrove forests, which are crucial to a plethora of local wildlife. “With the rising sea level, we lose our sedimentation. Without sedimentation, our mudflats and mangroves may not keep up with the sea level rise,” said Mr Lester Tan, a member of the Nature Society Singapore (NSS), a non-government conservation organisation. READ MORE Not a subscriber? Click to subscribe 2024 CALENDARS STILL AVAILBLE! Get your free calendar with every donation of $100 or more Please mention "calendar" in the comments field of our donation page If you would like to separately order calendars, please contact monica@mangroveactionproject.org     Want to learn more about mangroves? VISIT MANGROVEACTIONPROJECT.ORG ACTION ALERTS   Help Save the Mangroves Mangrove Action Project relies on the generosity of donors to do our urgent work. Whether it’s a one-time or monthly commitment, your contributions make a real difference in safeguarding these critical ecosystems.   FIght the Marine Bitumen Spill   Tanzania corals and mangroves threatened   Please sign: Save Murchison Falls!   Ecuador: Stop land grabbing and racial discrimination for palm oil!     Mangrove Action Project Report MAP is proud of our annual accomplishments and financial health for 2022. Check out a global map of the places we're working, and highlights from all of our programs. Thank you to our many supporters who made this work possible, and to all of our friends and partners working to protect mangrove forests, worldwide. READ MORE