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Mangroves are vital ecosystems that straddle the interface between land and sea, thriving in coastal zones characterised by brackish water. Their significance extends far beyond their seemingly modest presence, as they play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance, serving as nurseries for various marine species, protecting coastlines from erosion, and mitigating the impacts of climate change by efficiently storing carbon in their biomass and soils. Furthermore, mangroves are invaluable to societies and economies, contributing to fisheries, tourism, and shoreline stabilisation.
Despite their critical role, mangroves face numerous threats, including deforestation, pollution, and climate change. Coastal development often leads to the clearing of mangrove forests for urban expansion or aquaculture, disrupting the delicate balance of these ecosystems. Pollution from industrial activities and improper waste disposal further jeopardises their health, while climate change exacerbates the risks through rising sea levels and extreme weather events. Most notably, illegal cutting of mangroves for fuel wood or charcoal production, a proportion of which is sold in major cities, is common along the Swahili coast and deeply related to insufficient livelihood opportunities for local communities.
In Tudor Creek, Mombasa, AKF is working with a local youth-led NGO called Big Ship to build on community-led mangrove conservation and restoration efforts, and to share knowledge about holistic approaches to environmental solutions.
Mombasa in a coastal city in Kenya with around 3,700 hectares of mangroves. Rapid urbanisation and urban sprawl, poor waste management, illegal logging, pollution, and lack of awareness have led to the loss of these vital peri-urban forests.
“The mangrove forest belongs to the community,” said Susan, Head of Programmes at Big Ship. “We ensure that the community can own the process. We work with communities to look for ways to improve living standards and provide alternative sources of livelihoods because they used to rely on mangrove forests.”
By offering alternative sources of employment like beekeeping, nursery management, and waste collection for recycling , Big Ship is helping communities realise that mangrove restoration and conservation can open new opportunities. “People who were logging are now trained scouts doing beekeeping – they’ve seen the importance of beekeeping and planting trees. [Restoring the mangroves] has opened opportunities for crab hunting, and the size of crabs are larger than what they used to be. The forest cover has also increased,” said Susan.
Mangrove initiatives are also bringing new opportunities to unemployed Kenyan youth. As part of AKF’s Green Champions programme, young Kenyans and unemployed technicians are connected to local organisations like Big Ship to build their skills and knowledge in mangrove conservation and restoration.
Learn more: www.akf.org.uk/the-mangrove-forest-belongs-to-the-communi...
Come explore the world of seagrass ecosystems! Learn why this habitat is so critical, touch and see the local grass species, and investigate the ways we collect data in this highly dynamic system.
Ecosystem[edit]
Old-growth coastal redwoods
The Muir Woods National Monument is an old-growth coastal redwood forest. Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the forest is regularly shrouded in a coastal marine layer fog, contributing to a wet environment that encourages vigorous plant growth. The fog is also vital for the growth of the redwoods as they use moisture from the fog during the dry summer
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District hosts a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completion of the Unity Island ecosystem restoration project in Buffalo, NY, October 26, 2020.
Ecosystems: Redesigning Global Value Chains in a Post- COVID World | Commonwealth Business Forum - CHOGM Rwanda 2022
Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) in the Arctic:
Implementing the Recommendations of the Arctic Council EBM Expert Group
Ecosystems: Redesigning Global Value Chains in a Post- COVID World | Commonwealth Business Forum - CHOGM Rwanda 2022
Ecosystem restoration work underway at Seneca Bluffs, Buffalo, New York.
Thanks to the partnership and work of Brian Higgins, EPA - Region 2 U.S. EPA Region 5 (Great Lakes Region) NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Buffalo Niagara RIVERKEEPER.
The Department of Land Resource Management (DLRM) will commence the fifth year of Darwin Harbour seagrass surveys at Casuarina Coastal Reserve tomorrow.
DLRM Marine Ecosystems Director, Tony Griffiths said the surveys will be undertaken as part of international Seagrass-Watch monitoring program with the Northern Territory Government.
“DLRM staff and Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT (PWCNT) rangers will spend the next two day assessing seagrass cover at two sites in waters adjacent to Casuarina Coastal Reserve,” Dr Griffiths said.
“Seagrasses are the main diet of dugongs and green turtles and provide a habitat for many smaller marine animals, some of which, like prawns and fish, are commercially important.
“They also absorb nutrients from coastal run-off and stabilise sediment, helping to keep the water clear.
“That’s why monitoring is so important; it raises awareness on the condition and trends of nearshore seagrass ecosystems and provides an early warning of any major environmental changes in Darwin Harbour.
“We all need to work together to protect the valuable seagrass along our coasts, and projects like this one give PWCNT rangers the opportunity to get involved and learn how they can monitor the condition of this important habitat.”
The surveys follow Seagrass-Watch guidelines when assessing and collecting samples from their quadrats, which are monitored on an annual basis.
The data from these sites will be submitted to the organisation, where it will become part of national database.
Seagrass-Watch is the largest scientific, non-destructive, seagrass assessment and monitoring program in the world, with monitoring occurring at over 300 sites across 17 countries.
It originated from community concerns about seagrass loss and community interest in science, as well as government objectives in long-term monitoring of critical fisheries habitats.
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ECOSYSTEMS - Free permanent exhibit!
Ecology becomes approachable for young learners when it’s put in a context they recognize: the home. Explore how our human habitat provides us with food, water and shelter. You can also discover the ways pets—and pests—use our homes and yards to develop habitats of their own.
New Additions to the Discovery Room!
Oh no, pests have invaded our kitchen! Come see the house mice and American cockroaches that are living inside our cabinets. We also have a new balance scale for you to weight your food items and a fruit and vegetable threading activity. Don’t forget to check out how we are helping the environment by creating fresh soil in our backyard compost bin.
Come explore the world of seagrass ecosystems! Learn why this habitat is so critical, touch and see the local grass species, and investigate the ways we collect data in this highly dynamic system.
Come explore the world of seagrass ecosystems! Learn why this habitat is so critical, touch and see the local grass species, and investigate the ways we collect data in this highly dynamic system.
Regreening Africa is restoring ecosystems in 8 countries and improving the resilience of 500,000 households across sub-Saharan Africa.
Regreening Africa’s goal in Ghana is to create a sustained approach to reversing land degradation and integrating food production through agroforestry.
Regreening Africa addresses pressing challenges in Ghana’s savannas: extreme and prolonged dry seasons, overgrazing, uncontrolled fire, declining tree cover, loss of indigenous biodiversity and increased soil infertility.
Photo by Kelvin Trautman
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