Mangroves and their microbiomes – marking the UNESCO International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem

by Samantha Law, Curator, NCIMB 25 June is the UNESCO International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. So why do mangrove ecosystems merit a special day? Mangroves are intertidal forests that exist along tropical and subtropical coasts. UNESCO state that they support a rich biodiversity and provide a valuable nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans. They act as a form of natural coastal defence against storm surges, tsunamis, rising sea levels and erosion, and their soils are highly effective carbon sinks, sequestering vast amounts of carbon. In other …