Marine Biology

Introduction

The term mangrove refers to an ecological group of halophytic plant species as well as to a variety of complex plant communities dominated by these species, found along sheltered tropical and subtropical shores. This is also used to describe a diverse group of plants that are all adapted to a wet, saline intertidal habitats in the tropical and subtropical coasts. Mangrove may typically refer to an individual species. Terms such as mangrove community, mangrove ecosystem, mangrove forest, mangrove swamp, and mangal are used interchangeably 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.