MAP News Issue #596 = April 20, 2024

ENTRIES NOW OPEN! Mangrove Photography Awards 2024 10 Years Celebrating Mangroves   GLOBAL - MAP has launched our 10th Mangrove Photography Awards. The competition invites photographers of all ages and levels to submit images that showcase the beauty, diversity and fragility of mangrove forests worldwide. Mangroves are one of the world’s most critical ecosystems – and one of the most threatened. Their ability to store up to five times more carbon in soil compared to tropical inland forests makes them among our most powerful nature-based solutions to the climate crisis. Yet today, less than half the world’s original mangrove forest cover remains. In an effort to highlight the importance of mangrove forests and the threats they and coastal communities relying on them face, the annual Awards aims to catalyse conservation and restoration efforts for these complex ecosystems. By drawing on the power of visual storytelling, we can deepen peoples’ understanding of the importance of mangroves and ways we can continue to protect them. There are 5 single image categories that appeal to a range of interests and approaches – Wildlife, People, Landscape, Threats and Underwater – as well as Conservation Stories, a multiple image category allowing photographers to tell powerful narratives related to mangrove habitats.  READ MORE MAP film maker once again recognized for outstanding documentary Return of the Mangroves follows the Mangrove Action Project (MAP) team to El Salvador to assess the health of mangroves in the Bay of Jiquilisco. MAP Co-Founder Alfredo Quarto and Jim Enright return to the bay 12 years after they conducted a mangrove restoration training, and with the help of Dr Laura Michie discover the impact of the training on the local people and the mangroves of the bay. The documentary, created by MAP’s creative director, Leo Thom, was recently named Best Documentary at the Wildsound Festival. To date the documentary has been selected to be screened at eight film festivals around the world. The film focusses on the Bay of Jiquilisco, the largest mangrove forest in Central America, and explores the impact of the reforestation training on the people and the mangroves of the bay. In 2018 Thom won the Good Natured Conservation Optimism short film festival's Best Student Film Award for his film The Wondrous Mangrove Forest. READ MORE Biologists Find 700 Species Of Wildlife In Cambodian Mangrove Jungles CAMBODIA - Mangrove jungles in Cambodia are nothing less than preserved treasures to discover a wide array of different species of wildlife. Rich in flora and fauna, Cambodian mangroves surprised a team of biologists with the huge numbers of species found. A recent biodiversity survey conducted in a mangrove jungle in Cambodia unveiled the presence of hundreds of wildlife species. The research was organised at the Peam Krasop sanctuary. The recently conducted biodiversity survey shed light on the huge numbers of species of wildlife living in these habitats in Cambodia. The biologists discovered about 700 species of wildlife in these mangrove forests, according to a report by The Times of India. The findings are indeed one-of-a-kind and surprising for the researchers, to say the least. Fauna & Flora International sponsored this biodiversity survey in the mangrove jungles in Cambodia, according to a report by The Guardian. It unveiled the presence of more than hundreds of species of birds, insects, bats, and fishes.  READ MORE Mighty Mangroves: Forest Service Researchers Help Conserve Coastal Guardians in Micronesia MICRONESIA - Mangroves help curb climate change, create wildlife habitat, and protect communities. And Pacific Southwest Research Station ecologist Rich MacKenzie’s mission is to promote their conservation. MacKenzie’s research focuses on mangroves in Micronesia, which includes Palau, the Marshall Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. This region’s area of ocean is equivalent to the size of the continental U.S., and the land mass could fit within Rhode Island. “Mangroves here colonize coastlines, and their optimal elevation level is just above mean or average tide. They thrive outside of water on the exposed forest floor,” MacKenzie stated. Superstars of carbon absorption, mangroves fall under the umbrella of blue carbon, which includes wetlands, sea grass, and the ocean. These critical carbon sinks sustain a healthy planet. “I’m particularly proud to work for the Forest Service, because it is leading the way in blue carbon research and mangroves are a big part of that. Forest Service funding and a grant from U.S. Geological Survey’s Pacific Island Climate Adaptation Science Center is helping make mangrove research possible,” MacKenzie stated.  READ MORE Abandoned fishpond areas to be restored as mangroves MALAYSIA - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the immediate assessment of abandoned, undeveloped and underutilized (AUU) areas for fishpond purposes, beginning in the regions of Bicol, Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula. DENR Memorandum Order 2024-01 signed by Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga calls for data-sharing between DENR offices and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on restoring mangroves which are vital in the defense against flooding and extreme weather events and in improving climate actions. The order covers fishpond areas released by the DENR to the BFAR in the 1970s. The order is in accordance with Presidential Directive No. 2023-296 on the Review of Areas with Fishpond Lease Agreements (FLA) that are AUU. The order also seeks recommendations to transfer the administrative control over AUU fishpond areas under FLA and biophysical reversion from BFAR to the DENR. This involves the process of putting back damaged components of the mangrove forest from fishpond to mangrove state through methods such as replanting, enrichment planting and assisted regeneration. READ MORE Uncovering potential mangrove microbial bioindicators to assess urban and agricultural pressures on Martinique island MARTINIQUE - Martinique's mangroves, which cover 1.85 ha of the island (<0.1 % of the total area), are considerably vulnerable to local urban, agricultural, and industrial pollutants. Unlike for temperate ecosystems, there are limited indicators that can be used to assess the anthropogenic pressures on mangroves. This study investigated four stations on Martinique Island, with each being subject to varying anthropogenic pressures. An analysis of mangrove sediment cores approximately 18 cm in depth revealed two primary types of pressures on Martinique mangroves: (i) an enrichment in organic matter in the two stations within the highly urbanized bay of Fort-de-France and (ii) agricultural pressure observed in the four studied mangrove stations. This pressure was characterized by contamination, exceeding the regulatory thresholds, with dieldrin, total DDT, and metals (As, Cu and Ni) found in phytosanitary products. The mangroves of Martinique are subjected to varying degrees of anthropogenic pressure, but all are subjected to contamination by organochlorine pesticides.  READ MORE Rising seas and warming weather threaten vulnerable native flora and fauna in Singapore SINGAPORE: Rising sea levels and warming weather could potentially mark the end of vulnerable native animals and plants that call Singapore home. A recent climate projection citing progressively hotter days and the inevitable rise of the mean sea level has painted a gloomy picture for the flora and fauna at risk.Conservation advocates are sounding the alarm on the increasing threat to these habitats and the species within them, and calling for a nation-wide effort to reduce carbon emissions and protect the precious pockets of nature.Ecosystems in low-lying areas are particularly susceptible to rising tides brought by climate change. Among them are Singapore's mangrove forests, which are crucial to a plethora of local wildlife. “With the rising sea level, we lose our sedimentation. Without sedimentation, our mudflats and mangroves may not keep up with the sea level rise,” said Mr Lester Tan, a member of the Nature Society Singapore (NSS), a non-government conservation organisation. READ MORE Not a subscriber? Click to subscribe 2024 CALENDARS STILL AVAILBLE! Get your free calendar with every donation of $100 or more Please mention "calendar" in the comments field of our donation page If you would like to separately order calendars, please contact monica@mangroveactionproject.org     Want to learn more about mangroves? VISIT MANGROVEACTIONPROJECT.ORG ACTION ALERTS   Help Save the Mangroves Mangrove Action Project relies on the generosity of donors to do our urgent work. Whether it’s a one-time or monthly commitment, your contributions make a real difference in safeguarding these critical ecosystems.   FIght the Marine Bitumen Spill   Tanzania corals and mangroves threatened   Please sign: Save Murchison Falls!   Ecuador: Stop land grabbing and racial discrimination for palm oil!     Mangrove Action Project Annual Report MAP is proud to release a report of our annual accomplishments and financial health for the past year. Check out a global map of the places we're working, and highlights from all of our programs. Thank you to our many supporters who made this work possible, and to all of our friends and partners working to protect mangrove forests, worldwide. READ MORE

MAP News Issue #595 - April 6, 2024

Push to restore Philippines' mangroves at risk from salt farm law PHILIPPINES - Along the flood-prone coasts of the Philippines, one of the defining dilemmas of the climate crisis - how to balance environmental needs with economic development - is dominating a debate around the restoration of mangrove forests. Conservationists want the government to ensure disused aquaculture ponds - used to farm fish and shellfish - revert to their natural state as mangrove forests, allowing them to form a natural barrier against erosion, floods and storm surges. But they fear a new law to boost the struggling salt industry - the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act - could see these fishponds converted to salt farms instead, creating less favourable conditions for restoration. Mangroves are crucial in the fight against climate change because they are more effective than most other forests at absorbing and storing planet-heating carbon. As well as acting as a natural barrier to coastal erosion and storms, they also support a range of wildlife and provide nutrients to the wider ecosystem, boosting fish stocks. That's why conservationists have long called on the Philippine government and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which oversees the process, to speed up the reversion of fishponds to mangroves. READ MORE Sonneratia apetala Mangrove Invades the Coast of Brazil There is a rather urgent situation concerning the bio-invasion of the Sonneratia apetala mangrove species now threatening the coastal wetlands of Brazil. Here is a bit of background information. CHINA -The invasive species Sonneratia apetala is native to SE and S. Asia, and was introduced into China over 30 years ago as a way to buffer China's SE coastal regions from erosion and storms. The S. apetala seedlings were originally brought in from Bangladesh in the late 1980s through the 1990s, raised in nurseries, then planted along extensive stretches of coastline. The reasoning behind the decision to introduce this non-native species to China was that the S. apetala mangrove grew taller and more rapidly than native species, but unfortunately this also meant this introduced species outcompeted the native mangroves, leading to a bio-invasion that today threatens the native mangrove wetlands of SE China. It was also found that its soft stems broke easily from intense winds, and thus S. apetala was not as effective as native mangrove species for storm protection. Today, S. aperala comprises nearly 11% of China's mangroves occupying an area of around 3,000 ha. The rapid spread of S. apetalsa has alarmed the Forest Department, which issued a ban on further such introductions, and initiated an ambitious eradication program to counter this now unwelcome invader.  READ MORE Traditional Amazonian Communities Act in Defense of the Largest Mangrove Forest on the Planet BRAZIL - The Amazon is a diverse biome, with several distinct ecosystems. Among them, mangroves are little known but no less important for the environment: it is in northern Brazil where the largest continuous stretch of mangroves in the world is found. In addition to being more extensive, Amazonian mangroves are the best preserved. Less than 1% of all mangrove areas in the region, which is about 7,800 km2, have suffered devastation in recent years. Mangroves extend from Amapá to Maranhão, passing through the coast of Pará. And much of this conservation is due to the presence of traditional communities. Mangroves provide food and income for quilombolas, riverside dwellers, fishermen, and indigenous peoples. Additionally, they are an important site for carbon dioxide capture, which helps combat global warming. Traditional communities are at the forefront of mangrove protection since they depend on them for their livelihoods — a set of 14 adult crabs is sold for R$10, according to Roseti de Araújo, president of the Remnant Quilombola Association of America.The ecosystem in the Amazon, pressured by predatory fishing, is essential for the subsistence of the population of the northern coast of Brazil READ MORE UK donates drone to GMCS for mangrove monitoring GUAYANA - A group of young indigenous girls and boys are being trained to champion conservation efforts in the Barima Mora Passage. They are being trained to use drone technology to protect mangroves and raise awareness about their importance within their local communities On March 20, British High Commissioner Jane Miller, Programme Manager Kassia De Santos and Political, Press and Public Affairs Officer Tianna Graham visited region one to observe the training provided as part of the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) Blue Social Challenge Fund. During the visit, the high commissioner presented a DJI Mavic 3 Pro drone to Project Director of the Guyana Marine Conservation Society Annette Arjoon. Through the three-month pilot programme, seven youths from Aruka, Smith Creek, Morawhanna, and Imbotero were trained and received certification in drone operation for monitoring mangroves and the coastal ecosystem. Their work will support the Barima Mora Passage blue economy and enhance climate resilience. By monitoring and capturing aerial footage of areas impacted by illegal clearing and natural as well as man-made fires. The climate champions will help to monitor the mangrove ecosystems and report threats so action can be taken to prevent further degradation. READ MORE Satellite images show little progress in NGP’s mangrove rehab efforts PHILIPPINES - The Geospatial Database Office (GDO) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has found little progress in selected National Greening Program (NGP) mangrove rehabilitation sites when they compared historical satellite images to 2022 photos. Reforestation efforts in mangrove sites in Calauag, Quezon province, for example, started in 2013. But seven years later, satellite images show empty patches where mangroves should have already grown. It’s the same scenario in other NGP sites in Pampanga, Eastern Samar, and Pangasinan. Agatha Bedi, an ecologist in the GDO specializing in coastal ecosystems, used satellite images, DENR’s maps of NGP sites, and the mangrove map from the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, for this initiative. “There’s a lot of available information out there, but no one’s collecting and analyzing,” said Bedi in a mix of Filipino and English during an office visit.In the same year, the DENR partnered with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and produced the National Mangrove Map 2023 using remotely sensed images taken from the European Space Agency’s imaging mission Sentinel-2 and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s ALOS PALSAR2. READ MORE Beneficial Relationships: Bacterial Partners Boost Mangrove Tolerance to Contaminants GLOBAL - Scientists find that mangrove seedlings inoculated with diesel-degrading bacteria are more tolerant to diesel contamination. Diesel is an important driver of economic growth but also has negative impacts on estuarine ecosystems that are hard to ignore. In this regard, the potential of mangrove ecosystems for phytoremediation of diesel-contaminated soil remains unknown. Scientists have now found that Bacillus safensis-SH10, Sphingomonas sp.-LK11, Rhodococcus corynebacterioides-NZ1, and Bacillus subtilis-EP1 can significantly improve mangrove seedling tolerance to diesel contamination, opening the door for managing pollutants in estuarine ecosystems with bacterial-enhanced phytoremediation. Long-chain n-alkanes in diesel are damaging to plant growth. Scientists have found that augmenting mangrove seedlings with a bacterial inoculum can improve their tolerance to diesel contamination and overall growth. Fostering beneficial relationships can pay dividends in the long run. In plant-microbe associations, relationships that impact ecosystems in the context of mitigating hydrocarbon pollutants are receiving plenty of attention. Diesel has a prominent role in propping up most economies. However, diesel contamination from spills poses a significant threat to many estuarine ecosystems. As a result of these spills, estuarine ecosystems face threats to soil aeration, infiltration, and permeability. These spills also take a heavy toll on mangroves and the ecosystem services they provide a habitat to live in and a sanctuary to breed for a diverse group of marine organisms. READ MORE Increased risk of heavy metal accumulation in mangrove seedlings in coastal wetland environments due to microplastic inflow GLOBAL - The recovery phase of mangrove seedlings in coastal wetland ecosystems can be negatively affected by exposure to external pollutants. This study aimed to investigate the impact of microplastics (MPs) influx, specifically polystyrene (PS) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), on the growth of Aegiceras corniculatum seedlings and their accumulation of heavy metals (HMs). PS and PMMA significantly increased HMs accumulation (up to 21.0–548%), particularly in the roots of seedlings, compared to the control treatment (CK). Additionally, elevated activities of malondialdehyde and catalase enzymes were observed in the leaves of seedlings, while peroxidase enzyme activity decreased. Topological analysis of the root sediment microbiota coexistence network revealed that the modularization data increased from 0.69 (CK treatment) to 1.07 (PS treatment) and 5.11 (PMMA treatment) under the combined stress of MPs and HMs. This suggests that the introduction of MPs intensifies microbial modularization. The primary cause of increased HMs accumulation in plants is the MPs input, which influences the secretion of organic acids by plants and facilitates the shift of HMs in sediment to bioavailable states. Furthermore, changes in microbial clustering may also contribute to the elevated HMs accumulation in plants. READ MORE Not a subscriber? Click to subscribe ORDER YOUR 2024 CALENDAR NOW! Get your free calendar with every donation of $100 or more Please mention "calendar" in the comments field of our donation page If you would like to separately order calendars, please contact monica@mangroveactionproject.org     Want to learn more about mangroves? VISIT MANGROVEACTIONPROJECT.ORG ACTION ALERTS   Help Save the Mangroves Mangrove Action Project relies on the generosity of donors to do our urgent work. Whether it’s a one-time or monthly commitment, your contributions make a real difference in safeguarding these critical ecosystems.   FIght the Marine Bitumen Spill   Tanzania corals and mangroves threatened   Please sign: Save Murchison Falls!   Ecuador: Stop land grabbing and racial discrimination for palm oil!     Mangrove Action Project Annual Report MAP is proud to release a report of our annual accomplishments and financial health for the past year. Check out a global map of the places we're working, and highlights from all of our programs. Thank you to our many supporters who made this work possible, and to all of our friends and partners working to protect mangrove forests, worldwide. READ MORE