Aquatic ecology and Biodiversity

Unit 10- Coastal ecosystems

10.4. Mangroves ecosystem
The term mangrove refers to an ecological group of halophytic plant species found along sheltered tropical and subtropical shores. It is a diverse group of plants that are adapted to wet, saline intertidal habitats. Terms such as mangrove community, mangrove ecosystem, mangrove forest, mangrove swamp, and mangal are used to describe the entire mangrove community. Healthy mangrove forests are key to a healthy marine ecology. The mangroves make an enormous contribution to the food chain that supports the coastal fisheries.

Mangroves are commonly found throughout the world between latitudes 32°N and 38°S. According to the report of the World Resources Institute, mangroves cover an area of 190,000 to 240,000 km², occupying about one-quarter of the world’s coastal line. Mangroves extend over 18 million hectares worldwide, covering a quarter of the world's tropical coastline. Largest mangrove areas occur in Indonesia (30%) followed by Nigeria (10%), Australia (8%) and Mexico (7%). India contributes approximately 3% to the world mangrove area. Mangroves in India are spread over an area of about 4,500 km² along the coastal States/UnionTerritoriess of the country. Sunderbans in West Bengal accounts for a little less than half of the total area under mangroves in India.
Magrove wetlands of India