Mangroves give cause for conservation optimism, for now

Mangrove forests are found along the shorelines of more than 100 countries, and provide a wide range of ecosystem services that support the livelihoods and wellbeing of tens of millions of people. Despite their importance, loss of global mangrove area has been so substantial that twelve years ago academics warned of “a world without mangroves” [1Duke N.C. Meynecke J.O. Dittmann S. Ellison A.M. Anger K. Berger U. Cannicci S. Diele K. Ewel K.C. Field C.D. et al.A world without mangroves?.Science. 2007; 317: 41Crossref PubMed Google Scholar]. This seminal work highlighted the large historical loss of mangroves, suggesting that they had declined faster than almost any other ecosystem, including coral reefs and tropical rainforests. The authors predicted that if nothing was…