Beats me as to why I’m even watching the news at this point.
I “know my zone”, as I’ve lived in Florida for the better part of my adult life. I also know that not every storm is survivable and that when the waters begin to seep into the house, it’s go time.
So with a deep sigh, my dog, a few changes of clothes and the backpack of treasures-I-refuse-to-lose, I calmly—or more honestly, numbly—depart my home of 20+ years while I still can.
The hurricane seasons just keep getting worse, so I vow if I make it through this one, I’ll seriously consider abandoning my coastal life once and for all.
I make it to my ‘safe house’ inland, nearly an hour away, and settle into the comfort of normality with my cousin’s family. For the next two days, we huddle with cups of tea and stay glued to storm coverage for glimpses of my neighborhood, but the news doesn’t seem good.
Five days later, the roads clear and I brace myself for a potential return to nothing. As I turn down the street that leads to my house, I bear witness to complete devastation. Entire structures are gone or reduced to piles of sticks, barely recognisable, save for the colours of their former homes.
I drive slowly, not wanting to see my own history in pieces, when my dog begins barking. Excited, not scared. He sees our next-door-neighbor’s house, then ours. Both are still standing. He’s just happy to be home.
I tentatively pull into the watery driveway, feeling more hopeful the closer we get. When we exit the car, there’s standing water, but we can safely make our way to my seemingly normal front door.
We enter to find about 2 feet of water flooding the main floor. Some shoes and other items float by as we stand stunned. We have a lot to clean up, for sure, but we are among the lucky ones. Our home is still standing, and the damage from the flood is minimal compared to the homes we drove past.
The difference?
We live right behind a mangrove. The lush bushes and trees provided a miraculous barrier from the rising waters, which is why our home only flooded a few feet instead of becoming a total loss.
Nature vs nature—we just happened to be on the winning side.
July 26th marks the International Day for the Preservation of the Mangrove System—the perfect time to dive deeper into their relevance and do what we can to save them. The story above is based on a true experience and represents countless grateful survivors that owe their lives to these marvels.
In the next few pages, we’ll explore why these often overlooked natural heroes are vulnerable to our climate crisis and examine ways we can help preserve them for generations to come.
What exactly is... a mangrove?
Mangroves are a unique set of trees, bushes and shrubs that grow along shorelines and contain pneumatophores (entangled, lateral roots). These types of roots sit partially above ground and grow upward to absorb oxygen. Aside from being aesthetically beautiful, mangroves are also very storm-resistant, often surviving strong winds, violent hurricanes and rough sea tides.
Where are mangroves located?
Mangroves are found in 123 countries worldwide, with the largest concentration of them residing in the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest, located across India and Bangladesh. This forest is known for its vast biodiversity, which includes over 260 bird species and the world’s largest population of endangered Royal Bengal Tigers.
Known as the Blue Guardians of the Amazon in South America, countries such as Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia and Brazil, boast incredible mangrove forests, which help to sustain many Indigenous groups that live nearby.
The Borneo mangroves in Malaysia and Brunei claim the most unique biodiversity, hosting the only known proboscis monkeys, in addition to other rare animals and flora.
Mangroves National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo lies where the Congo River meets the Atlantic Ocean and protects some of the last remaining coastal mangrove ecosystems in Central Africa.
Save for Antarctica, every continent on Earth is a host to mangroves.
How do mangroves help communities?
Like the story we shared in the beginning, mangroves can act as a protective layer for coastal homes during severe weather. They also provide:
- Carbon capture of epic proportions. For example, one square mile of mangrove forest can absorb the equivalent of a year’s worth of emissions for 90,000 gas-powered vehicles, making them a natural reducer of air pollution.
- Critical nursing environments for marine life—everything from crocodiles to snappers to mudskippers.
- Medicinal properties that are extracted from their leaves to create pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, antiseptics and drugs that rid the body of parasites.
- Habitats for fish and other wildlife, consumed by nearby humans, who rely upon the mangrove’s bounty for sustenance.
- Asian honeybees (in India and Bangladesh). Many make their livelihood from harvesting their honey.
Why are mangroves at risk?
It would seem that for all the good they do, they’d be strong contenders for strict environmental protections, but sadly that’s not the case in every location.
- In Florida, USA, the rapid development of coastal communities, coupled with climate change, has destroyed 84% of the mangroves that existed in the 1940s. In 1996, it became illegal to remove, destroy or damage mangroves within the state, but runoff that contains pesticides and other pollutants (which are legal) still contributes to their destruction.
- In The Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia, what was once a picturesque paradise along the Mediterranean is now severely degraded due to the absorption of byproducts from the thriving phosphate industry. In 2025, citizens took to the streets and a general strike forced the government to re-evaluate the significant harm of its major export. Even their President called it “Environmental Assassination” and new regulations were put in place. Time will tell if they are able to repair the damage done.
- In Australia, the Northern Territory Mangroves protect vital fish nurseries and help filter water, but they are under increased threat of legal ‘clearing’ in addition to industrialisation and significant plastic pollution.
What can we do to help stop the destruction of mangroves?
It may seem like the big-picture problems are insurmountable, but honestly we can all help prevent further harm to these fragile ecosystems:
- Reduce your use of plastic. In observance of Plastic-free July, our partners at 4Ocean have an extensive page that offers swap suggestions for every aspect of daily life.
- Support Ecological Mangrove Restoration. There are environmental organisations like the Mangrove Action Project that work to restore mangroves and need financial support to continue their mission.
- Discover Volunteer Opportunities. The UN Environment Programme has a website that updates with current restoration projects—and the places that need help!
To end on a positive note, the BBC reported last month on how the inherent resilience of mangroves is leading to their natural restoration and just last week, Mongabay reported on the remarkable net growth of mangroves in Southeast Asia.
Where there are practical solutions, there is also an abundance of hope…
“Kuching (April 8th), 2016” by Julian Lennon is from his ‘Riverscape’ fine art photography collection. For purchase inquiries, visit julianlennonphotography.com.
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