"Mangrove thrive in the world’s tropical coastlines. They are masters of adaptation. They filter out salt as water enters their roots, store fresh water in their fleshy leaves. In addition to serving as home to an incredible #diversity of animal life, mangroves are valuable resources to the people who live along the oceans.These ecosystems also support the fishing occupation, as mangroves are breeding grounds for fish. There's also a deep cultural relationship between the fishing communities and the mangroves. Many local goddesses are believed to be residing in these forests. #Mangroves stabilize the coastline by preventing sediment erosion, offer protection against natural calamities and serve as important sources of food, lumber, and medicine. Recent studies of the carbon inputs and outputs of mangrove forests suggest they are “carbon sinks,” that is, highly effective at absorbing carbon dioxide, a large percentage of which is sequestered in forest sediments, thus reducing the amount of #greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.

Having been born and raised in a coastal town, I have witnessed firsthand the amazing working of mangrove ecosystems. Every morning while going to school, I would walk on a tiny bridge made within the mangroves, where, I would see those #quirky roots, countless birds, huge snakes, crabs, fishes, even fishermen whom we would watch with great curiosity & many such innumerable things. These memories are deeply carved in my mind, thus to witness these forests being ruthlessly cleared through thoughtless encroachments is quite aching. Unnecessary deforestation of mangroves has made it difficult for them to survive.

In #Mumbai, construction has blocked their lifeblood, salt water. Their aerial roots poke through dry, caked mud instead of water. Where seawater once entered the mangrove patch. It's now littered with garbage.

In spite of their importance, mangroves are threatened worldwide. Their #destruction leaves shorelines without any protection. Importantly, sea level rise is inevitable, thus protecting these forests shields are more important now than ever. Written by @siddharaj_thale"