Why Mangroves Matter

Learn about the vital role mangroves play in Grenada's environment and economy.

Mangroves are among the most important coastal ecosystems in Grenada. They are flowering plants uniquely adapted to saline, tidally influenced environments, with specialised roots and salt-exclusion systems that allow them to thrive where most species cannot. These same adaptations make mangroves essential for climate resilience as storms intensify, sea levels rise, and rainfall patterns shift.

Across the Caribbean and worldwide, mangroves are declining due to coastal development, altered hydrology, pollution, and storm impacts. As these forests disappear, so do the services that protect our communities and support our marine environments.

This page provides an overview of why mangroves matter in Grenada and why restoring them is central to coastal sustainability.

Natural Coastal Protection

Mangroves form a living barrier between land and sea. Their dense root systems reduce wave energy, trap sediment, and slow the rate of erosion. During hurricanes and storm surges, mangroves help reduce flooding, protect infrastructure, and buffer coastal communities from damage.

Local examples show this clearly: sites where mangroves have regenerated naturally—once debris is removed and tidal flow restored—recover faster and provide stronger long-term protection.

Water Quality and Pollution Control

Mangroves act as natural filtration systems. As freshwater drains toward the coast, mangrove root networks trap sediments and absorb excess nutrients before they reach seagrass beds and coral reefs. This improves water clarity, supports nearshore fisheries, and helps maintain healthy coastal ecosystems.

Critical Habitat for Wildlife

Mangrove forests support a remarkable diversity of life. Their shallow, sheltered waters provide nursery habitat for many species of fish, crabs, and molluscs. Juvenile fish rely on the tangle of roots for protection, and many commercially important species begin their life cycle in mangrove areas.

Mangroves also support bird communities and form part of larger ecological networks that link wetlands, seagrass beds, and coral reefs.

High-Value Carbon Storage

Mangroves are among the world’s most efficient natural carbon sinks. They store four to five times more carbon than most tropical forests, with much of it captured in their waterlogged soils. When mangroves are removed or degraded, this stored carbon is released into the atmosphere.

Restoring mangroves strengthens Grenada’s climate mitigation efforts and supports nature-based adaptation strategies.

Adapting to Climate Change

Healthy mangroves help Grenada adapt to climate impacts by:

trapping sediments and stabilising coastlines,
buffering storm surge,
moderating tidal flow, and
maintaining coastal habitat structure as conditions shift.

Different mangrove species play different ecological roles. Red mangroves anchor wave-exposed shorelines; black mangroves stabilise intermediate zones; and white mangroves, with their high ecological plasticity, perform well in drier or more elevated areas. These species-specific strengths are reflected in the national restoration protocol and the species suitability map.

Why Restoration Is Needed

In some areas, mangroves can recover naturally once hydrology is restored and propagules are available. But where tidal flow is blocked, or where development has reshaped the landscape, active restoration becomes necessary.

The Mangrove Hub provides the tools and guidance to support this work, including:

the Five-Step Ecological Mangrove Restoration protocol,
species-specific guidance,
a national suitability map, and
community-focused training resources.

Protecting and restoring these forests sustains both ecological resilience and community well-being.