Habitat Of Mangrove Essay

Mangroves “are specialised wetlands that occur on or near the coast, where rivers pour their fresh water into the sea. Mangroves grow where there is a mixture of fresh and salt water. The trees and other plants have specialized roots that can survive immersion in seawater at high tide and exposure and drying at low tide.”(Navindra Ramsaroop, 2003). Mangroves provide habitats for many species of sea life, serve as a spawning ground and nursery for fishes and are important for the maintenance of commercial fisheries in the Caribbean.

Firstly, mangroves protect the shoreline from erosion they are also important in filtering and slowly releasing sediments from the land into the sea. They also form transitional zones between the land and the

. Due to the age of this species it is the largest and tallest of the three species of mangrove. They can be distinguished by the dark bark of the tree and their leaves are shiny and dark green on the top and oblong and pointed at the tip, while the undersides of the leafs are a generally dull green color with short, dense hair glands that excrete salt. These glands serve as a secondary excretion system in place of the roots. The Black mangrove produce many specialized root-like structures covered with lenticels, which stick up out of the soil. The leaves of the Black mangroves assist in the removal of salts.

Moreover, the White mangrove ( Laguncularia racemosa) are located on an even higher level of elevation than that of the black mangroves. Similarly, to the other species, the white mangrove is distinguished by its leaves. They are a light green color, almost 3 inches in length and are rounded at both ends. At the base of the leaves there are two glands that excrete the salt found in water. The White mangrove obtain oxygen via the lenticels in the lower