Carrie Schuman, PhD.

As we near the end of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, it is important to acknowledge how invaluable natural systems, including mangrove forests, are along our coasts. Mangroves are a type of “nature-based solution” for abating severe weather events and longer-term impacts associated with a changing climate.

Mangroves lessen water and wind energy produced during hurricanes, which helps protect human communities, including people’s homes and other critical infrastructure. They slow water down and stabilize the ground, lessening coastal impacts like erosion and flooding.

For instance, according to a Nature Conservancy report in 2017, mangroves helped Collier County reduce annual flood risk by about 25%, and the state as a whole avoided $1.5 billion in damages from Hurricane Irma. Researchers have also suggested mangroves provided important damage reduction during Hurricane Ian’s destruction in 2022.

The amount of protection that mangroves provide for inland coastal areas can depend on characteristics such as forest maturity, mangrove height, density (how closely trees are growing near each other), forest width, and how healthy the forest is prior to the storm. However, studies have shown that though wider forests are more effective, the majority of wave energy and height is reduced in the first stretches of forest, suggesting even smaller systems can provide advantages.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection estimates that 600,000 acres of mangrove forests contribute to the overall health of Southwest Florida’s coastal zones. Mangroves help maintain water quality and clarity and thrive in salty environments because they are able to extract freshwater from saltwater sources.

Southwest Florida’s mangrove forests are a vibrant refuge for creatures of all shapes and sizes. Mangrove root systems provide a sanctuary for species like fish and shellfish. Mangrove canopies serve as habitat for wildlife like insects and nesting coastal birds.

While adaptable and tough, mangroves are not immune to stressors, like storms and climate change, but they are protecting us from them. Mangroves do have some strategies for responding to impacts like sea level rise. They can build up sediment beneath their roots in the right conditions, or they can move further inland to escape deepening water.

Their importance to estuarine biodiversity, protecting shorelines from storms, and sequestering carbon could mitigate future climatic impacts. These amazing forests are one of the economic foundations in coastal tropical regions and are necessary to maintain quality for people and nature, yet their future is uncertain both here in Collier County and worldwide.

Human activity like increased development in coastal areas and changes to natural water flow has contributed to major declines in mangrove forests. A 2024 global mangrove assessment report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Ecosystems shows that 50% of the world’s mangrove systems are at risk of collapse.

It’s our job to protect these incredible trees so they can continue protecting us. This includes conserving pre-existing forests, allowing them room to migrate whenever possible, and supporting efforts to protect water quality and restore mangroves.

For more information, visit Conservancy.org/our-work/science/mangrove-research. or join the Conservancy via Zoom as it hosts multiple organizations to discuss these topics and more in the upcoming Dec. 3 symposium: Working with Nature: Nature-Based and Hybrid Solutions for Resilient Communities by visiting https://conservancy.org/nature-based-solutions-symposium.

Carrie Schuman, Ph.D., Climate Resilience Advisor at Conservancy of Southwest Florida