1. Estuaries – Florida Mangroves Materials in this PowerPoint adapted from the Everglades Foundation lesson “Living on the Edge” (
NSF Grant DRL

2. Florida’s Mangrove Estuaries
Mangrove estuaries make up much of Florida’s coastline
Estuary is a special place where fresh (river) water and marine water mix slowly.
Must protected from the open ocean by something like a barrier island or a bay
Estuary – Partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water Brackish Water – Where fresh water and saltwater meet

3. What are Mangroves?
Mangroves – term usually refers to more than just a species of tree (a.k.a. Mangrove Forest, Mangrove Swamp, Mangrove Biome)
Mangroves – Variety of trees and habitat associated with brackish water

4. Common Plants Black Mangroves Red Mangroves White Mangroves
Mangroves have special adaptations to excrete excess salt
Buttonwood and String Lily can’t excrete excess salt, but are more resistant to salty soil at the edges of the mangroves
White Mangroves
Buttonwood (FCIT)
String Lily (Vincent P. Lucas)

5. Common Animals West Indian Manatee Blue Crab Grey Snapper
Mangrove tree crab
Horseshoe crab
Mangrove water snake
Loggerhead sea turtle
Raccoon
Bald Eagle
Roseate Spoonbill
Wood Stork
Brown Pelican
Many animals (many more than listed) depend on mangroves for at least part of their lifecycle

6. Red Mangroves
Normally live just below the water line (roots always underwater)
Propagules float standing straight up and down in the water; will take root where the base gets caught on a sandbar
Roots are the home for many small fish and crustaceans
Top Left: Prop roots – spider-like roots buffer against wind & waves
Bottom Left: Lenticles, small pores in the roots, secrete salt
Top Right: Larger leaves retain water
Bottom Right: Cigar shaped propagules, or seedlings

7. Black Mangroves
Black mangroves live in the intertidal zone (somewhere between high and low tide lines)
Top Left: Pneumatophores, or aerial roots, extend up from main roots
Bottom Left: Cable roots radiate outward near the surface (FCIT)
Top Right: Leaves excrete salt, note silvery underside of leaf
Bottom Right: Lima bean-shaped propagules

8. White Mangroves Left: No significant surface root system
Normally grow above the high tide line
Roots filter salt out of the nutrients they take in.
Left: No significant surface root system
Top Right: Petioles, or leaf stems, have glands that excrete salt
Bottom Right: Triangular propagules resemble more common seeds

9. Mangroves and Tidal Zones
Mangroves protect the estuary from erosion and provide habitats for many endangered species

10. Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem services are benefits that people get from healthy ecosystems. Things like clean drinking water, clean air, and the plants used for many medicines are all examples of ecosystem services.
The health and well-being of people depend on these services. Natural ecosystems of south Florida and the plants and animals within them provide people with benefits that would be very difficult to duplicate. Many of these benefits are performed for ‘free’, but are worth trillions of dollars.
Roots prevent erosion by trapping sediments
while providing a nursery for 30% of
commercial and recreational fish
Mangroves sequester carbon while slowly
extending the coastline
Ecosystem Services – benefits that people get from healthy ecosystems
like clean water and air

11. Effects of Climate Change
Temperature
CO2 Concentrations
Changing Salinity
Sea Level Rise
Severe Weather
North
America
Changing rain patterns have changed
the salinity of the ocean in past 50 years
Red: increased 0.5%
Blue: decreased 0.5% (Durack, Wijffels, Matear)
Temperature – Warmer water means more frequent red tides that decimate the habitat
CO2 Concentrations – Ocean acidification will cause the loss of crustaceans, base level animals in the food web
Changes in salinity – Increased salinity will cause the black and white mangroves to retreat away from the ocean
Sea Level Rise – Two meter sea level rise could happen in students’ grandchildren’s lifetime
Severe Weather – Hurricanes/Storm Surge will destroy black/red mangroves because their roots are exposed
Sea level rise of 2 meters will redefine
coastal U.S. states (NOAA)

12. Summary What are Mangroves? Common Plants Common Animals
Types of Mangroves
Mangroves and Tidal Zones
Ecosystem Services
Effects of Climate Change