Why are mangroves important in Australia?
Mangroves are important because they protect coastlines from erosion and storms, act as nurseries for fish and prawns, and store large amounts of carbon. Australia has one of the world's largest areas of mangroves.
Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees and shrubs that grow in the intertidal zone of sheltered coasts, estuaries and river mouths. Australia has around 40 or more mangrove species, most of them in the tropical north.
They survive in salty, waterlogged mud using special adaptations. Some species push up breathing roots called pneumatophores through the mud, while others filter salt at their roots or excrete it through their leaves.
Nurseries of the sea
Many fish caught by anglers and commercial fishers, including barramundi, bream and mud crabs, spend part of their lives in mangroves. The tangled roots provide shelter from predators.
Mangroves and other coastal wetlands are called blue carbon ecosystems because they lock away carbon in their soils, helping slow climate change.
In 2015 and 2016, a huge mangrove dieback affected around 7,400 hectares along the Gulf of Carpentaria, linked to unusually low sea levels, heat and drought. Mangrove boardwalks in cities such as Cairns, Darwin and Brisbane let visitors explore these forests.
Did You Know?
Grey mangroves are the most widespread mangrove species in Australia, growing as far south as Victoria.