MAP News Issue #597 – May 04, 2024

Sediments and mangroves

NEW ZEALAND – The rapid expansion of mangrove forests in NZ estuaries over the last several decades has resulted in large-scale and permanent environmental changes. Effects include increased displacement/loss of other estuarine habitats such as salt marshes, sand flats and shellfish beds; impacts on navigation and recreational use; and changes in aesthetics and natural character of estuaries. However, some large areas of newly formed tidal flat above mean sea level have still not been colonised, even decades later. Whether or not mangrove forests are accelerating sedimentation and thereby influencing the long-term development of New Zealand estuaries is being addressed based on observations made over a range of timescales relevant to mangrove-forest ecosystems. Much of this work is being conducted in the southern Firth of Thames, where mangroves have colonised 11 km2 since the early 1950s. This site has yielded a number of insights into processes controlling mangrove forest development, largely because the system is evolving very rapidly and measurable environmental changes are occurring over timescales of weeks to months. For example, the sediment accumulation rate has averaged several centimetres per year, as opposed to the several millimetres per year observed in most New Zealand estuaries. Sediment cores collected from the Firth mangrove forest thus contain highly detailed records of environmental change over time. On a day-to-day basis, the interplay of tides, weather, and river flows controls the supply of sediments to mangrove forests. Waves resuspend intertidal-flat sediments and rivers discharge eroded soils into estuaries. Tides as well as weather conditions are also important because they control the frequency and duration of inundation (called the hydroperiod) and consequently sediment delivery to mangrove forests.

Earth Today | Great mangrove clean-up

JAMAICA – Hundreds of volunteers from corporate Jamaica and schools, including Tivoli High School and Campion College, together with ScotiaFoundation and other stakeholders turned out to the Great Mangrove Clean-up along the Kingston Harbour.The Great Mangrove Cleanup Project aims was to remove waste from the Kingston Harbour’s mangroves. In collaboration with the Grace Kennedy Foundation and other corporate entities, the  team worked to clear plastic waste and other garbage at the Sigarny Beach in the vicinity of Rae Town on April 27. Hosted in recognition of Earth Week, the cleanup initiative is a phase of the Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project to clear the legacy waste materials that have washed ashore and occupied the mangrove forests and the shoreline of the southern coast, before the installation of waste-trapping technologies in seven of the most polluted gullies that feed into the harbour. Audrey Tugwell Henry, President and CEO, Scotia Group Jamaica and director of the Scotia Foundation lauded organisers and volunteers for their significant contribution to the restoration of the environment.

PILIPPINES – THE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) launched its mangrove restoration initiative in Bonkokan Ubos in Lila, Bohol last April 22, planting over 1,200 mangrove plants along the community’s coastline. The project was part of the organization’s observance of Earth Day and nationwide call for the utilization of naturebased solutions to mitigate climate change. Mangroves are critically important to the ecosystem, as they provide habitat for thousands of aquatic animals, stabilize coastlines, and protect communities from storm surges and coastal flooding. PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard “Dick” Gordon has always reiterated the importance of collaboration and working with nature to build community resilience and foster sustainability, saying, “One way to empower communities and strengthen their capacity is to build partnership with them; involve them in the discussion, planning and solution processes.” This initiative is part of PRC’s Greening Red Cross Red Crescent disaster risk reduction: Saving lives through working with nature project, supported by the American Red Cross and with a broader mission to use nature based solutions to strengthen the communities’ resilience against natural hazards and cultivate a culture of environmental stewardship and ownership among communities.

FIJI – A five-year mangrove research and rejuvenation program ‘Project Halophyte’ has been launched in Suva with support from Swire Shipping. Project Halophyte will develop innovative floating mangrove pontoons and undertake environmental restoration in partnership with local communities along the coast.The collaboration between UNSW Sydney and the University of the South Pacific, led by UNSW’s Dr Andrew Dansie and Professor Will Glamore, is being undertaken in conjunction with UNSW’s societal impact framework. The project seeks to improve the world by progressing environmental sustainability and resilience, social cohesion, health, and wellbeing, and economic prosperity for all. Project Halophyte will see up to 40 PhD students, early-career researchers, and academic supervisors from Australia and Fiji collaborate with local communities in a long-term project to restore mangrove growth and aquatic systems. Assistant Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Sakiusa Tubuna says the futuristic vision behind this partnership is set to not only benefit Fiji as the pilot country but also have a positive impact across the region.

MALAYSIA – The need to preserve mangroves and the ecosystem services they sustain, while also providing for the social and economic needs of the people who depend on them, is one of coastal conservation’s greatest conundrums. Now, new research based on long-term data from a mangrove production forest in Malaysia suggests that, in some cases, it is possible to reconcile mangrove protection with resource needs — but only when the correct management is implemented and enforced. The study, published in Journal for Nature Conservation, evaluated more than a century of 10-year forestry management plans from Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, one of the world’s longest-managed reserves of its kind, to investigate the drivers behind recent changes in mangrove biomass and productivity. Timber poles from Rhizophora mangroves like those in Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve are in high demand in Southeast Asia and Africa, the study says, due to their durability, pest resistance and utility as a building material. Most of the timber poles produced at the reserve are distributed to local markets in Peninsular Malaysia and roughly 80% of its total charcoal production is exported to Japan for use in barbecuing, tea making and water purifying.

MAURITIUS – Mauritius relies heavily on its coast as a source of income. That’s why it’s crucial to be able to take quick action to protect itself and handle the impacts of climate change. Mangroves have long been recognised as a natural way to mitigate such threats. We used freely available satellite images to track them in Mauritius, which could eventually help support the island’s efforts to adapt to a changing climate. We collected GPS coordinates of mangroves at two sites, Le Morne in the south and Ferney in the south east. Le Morne is a fairly new mangrove plantation site within sandy beaches. Mangroves at Ferney have grown naturally, are mature and grow mainly along the muddy banks of the Champagne River. We then retrieved free satellite images from the Earth orbiting satellites SPOT-5 for the year 2013 and Sentinel 2A for 2023. We analysed the data with user-friendly software that did not require programming skills. We trained and tested our model using the field data we collected and obtained results with accuracy of 90% and above compared to data gathered on the ground.

DUBAI – The UAE is filled with record-breaking megaprojects. Now, it is set to welcome the world’s largest coastal regeneration project, Dubai Mangroves. URB is behind the development, which will span 72 kilometres of coastline and be home to more than 100 million mangrove trees. Dubai Mangroves is being created in line with the Dubai 2040 Master Plan. As mangroves have the unique ability to protect coastal areas and support marine life, the project combines ecological preservation with urban development. Plus, it aims to counteract the rising sea levels and embark on one of the world’s largest regeneration efforts.  “This project is much more than coastal regeneration or resilience. It’s about setting a global standard for how cities can balance the needs of the planet with the needs of the people,” URB CEO Baharash Bagherian explained. Dubai Mangroves will be home to a Botanical Museum, Mangrove Visitor Hub and Nature Reserve Conservation Centre. Plus, the site brings together beaches, guided nature walks and social spaces. The Botanical Museum will educate visitors about the role of plants in the eco system, and include exhibitions, seminars and workshops. The Mangrove Visitor Hub is an interactive centre with displays, guided tours and programmes for school children as well as tourists.

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