Why Mangroves Matter

Called the “rainforests by the sea,” coastal mangroves are among the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Current estimates indicate that up to 67% of mangroves have been lost to date, and nearly all unprotected mangroves could perish over the next 100 years.

It was International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem on July 26th, and we get a 101 on the priceless benefits of mangrove forests from Dr. Ahmad Aldrie Amir, a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow at the Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and the coordinator of the Malaysian Mangrove Research Alliance and Network (MyMangrove).