Tales of the Coast
Coastal Dynamics

Redirecting...

Tides and Mangrove Coasts

Tides influence the vegetative development of mangrove coasts because mangroves favor tidal submergence. They are one of the few types of plants that can grow with their roots in soils that are continuously saturated with salt water.

Some mangroves have seedlings that germinate and begin growing before they drop from the parent tree. This characteristic is due to the fact that young plants need to have their leaves and branches above water. Thus, tidal range affects the growth of these types of coasts.

Mangrove Coast
Source: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Tides and Mangrove Coasts

Rare Environments: Mangrove coasts are crucial biological habitats to a wide variety of invertebrates, fish, birds, and mammals. In the past, the primary cause of their destruction has been dredge-and-fill operations for the reclamation of land and for mosquito control.