"If there are no mangrove forests, then the sea will have no meaning. It is like having a tree with no roots, for the mangroves are the roots of the sea."
—Fisherman, Trang Province, Southern Thailand
Science-based education for grassroots mangrove restoration
We work to secure a healthy future for mangroves around the globe by bridging science, community and education.
Explore our work
MAP provides the grassroots training and education programs needed to effectively protect these vital ecosystems – now and into the future.
Our history
1992
Mangrove Action Project was formed in 1992.
Its founders – Alfredo Quarto, Ian Baird and Pisit Charnsonah – had witnessed firsthand the rapid devastation of the world’s mangrove forests and decided to take action by combining science-backed recommendations with genuine local involvement.
1995
MAP was a pioneer in community-led conservation, focusing on not just the challenges affecting the wetlands but also those of the communities who relied on them.
1997
We are not afraid to speak the truth either.
We became whistleblowers against the shrimp aquaculture industry, spotlighting its destructive expansion responsible for hundreds of thousands of hectares of mangrove loss.
2008
Since then, MAP has grown into a global network focused on viable, long-term, equitable solutions to restoring these vital ecosystems.
