Many efforts to reestablish mangroves fail. Turns out you can’t just stab a seedling in the mud and expect it to make it. From what I have learned a big problem is the first storm to come along washes the seedlings out, so once these forests are gone they are very hard to reestablish.
One simple solution is to create ridges by digging channels in tidewater areas and planting the piles of soil created by the digging. Mangrove forests have natural channels from the tide water moving in and out so this method can create a very natural looking planting. One risk with this system is a storm hitting, and wiping the whole thing out before the area is stabilized.
These very important ecosystems are in decline. Some places are recognising the value of these forests as storm buffers and making attempts to repair the damage done. these forests are vital to our coast. they are filters, buffers, nurseries, and powerful carbon sinks.
Another system I found intriguing is to grow the plants out in special pots, built to stand up to wave action. There are different designs and scales of pots that are placed on the seafloor after the plants are established. With this method trees can be out beyond the low tide mark, so long as the tops are out of the water at high tide. This video shows the method being used in Cayman. 5:05
Here is a summary for those that don’t do the links. A seed or ‘’propagule’’ seen in the title image, is placed in a special cement pot with holes in the sides, and a metal bottom that will rust away. They are grown out in a protected tidal area, in the water, but away from any wave action. After 18 months the pots are sealed with a weak cement mix to prevent the soil from washing out and planted in shallow water. The roots grow through the holes and into the sea floor. To secure the pots, a piece of rebar is driven through into the seafloor.
Thanks for reading
On Thursday night at 7:00 Central, the group Regenerative Culture for an Altered Planet posts a weekly diary, hope you can stop by.