Sunrise over Mangrove Shoreline

From the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS):

Sunrise — Just a beautiful shot of a sunrise over a mangrove shoreline at Shark River, Everglades National Park. In Florida there are three species of mangroves: the red mangrove, black mangrove, and white mangrove. Typically, red mangroves grow along the water's edge, black mangroves grow on slightly higher elevations than the red mangrove, and white mangroves grow upland from the red and black. The buttonwood is often associated with the mangrove community. It is usually found growing with the white mangrove, upland of the red and black mangroves. Mangroves grow in saltwater and in areas frequently flooded by saltwater.

Early settlers to South Florida regarded mangrove forests as being useless, mosquito-infested, uninhabitable lands. Today, ecologists realize their important role in coastal ecosystems. Mangrove leaves, trunks, and branches fall into the water and are transformed into detritus and peat, which is the basis of an elaborate food chain. Mangroves provide protected habitat, breeding grounds, and nursery areas to many terrestrial and marine animals. Mangroves also provide shoreline protection from wind, waves, and erosion.

Many terrestrial and marine animals including invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and mosquitoes find food and shelter within Florida's mangrove forests. Photo credit: Carole McIvor, USGS.

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