Why protect out mangroves?

Mangrove forests need to be protected from degradation and destruction, as they have very high conservation value.
Not only are these magnificent, diverse ecosystems a source of wonder and visual beauty but their removal or disturbance may cause:

• increased risk of Acid Sulphate Soils
• accelerated erosion
• loss of habitat
• increased coastal flooding
• degraded water quality

Increased risk of Acid Sulphate Soils

Disturbing acid sulphate soils, which are associated with low oxygen soils characteristic of mangrove forests, results in a threat to the health of humans, fauna, and flora in contact with the dangerously acidic waters. 

Accelerated erosion

Accelerated rates of coastal and riverine bank erosion can result in bank collapse, loss of coastal foreshore, and can result from clearing of disturbance of mangroves. Retaining mangroves as erosion buffers makes it unnecessary to build erosion-prevention devices such as the expensive sea walls that are already common along stretches of the Redlands coast.

Loss of habitat

Destruction and/or degradation of mangroves results in a loss of vital habitat for:

• birds - migratory birds and other terrestrial and marine birds use these wetlands to roost, breed and feed (mangrove flower nectar and fish, crabs etc)
• fish - all parts of mangroves are protected under the Fisheries Act 1994, as they provide young fish spawn with a vital source of food (eg. decaying leaves) and protection from prey and the battering of the tide
• seagrasses and dependent fauna - large amounts of organic matter (eg. decaying leaves) produced by mangroves are swept out to enrich the seagrass beds - without mangroves, seagrasses are not able to sustain the dugongs, turtles and fish that feed and live in them
• other fauna - crabs and molluscs, and other marine fauna, depend on the mangroves to provide shelter, food and habitat

Increased coastal flooding

Without mangroves and saltmarshes to soak up the tidal and freshwater inputs, there is potential for heavy flooding during high tides. Removal of mangroves places the inhabitants of foreshore developments at risk.

Degraded water quality

Removal or degradation of mangroves results in higher erosion, which will increase the turbidity (amount of particles and sediment in the water) of coastal and riverine waters. The nutrient levels, including nutrients associated with development (eg. chemicals from industrial and farming activities), will increase if mangroves are not there to act as filters and trap these nutrients for recycling in the mangrove ecosystem.  

Higher nutrient levels may result in 'eutrophication' evidence by algal blooms, which cover the water surface blocking the sunlight and oxygen from reaching other marine and freshwater organisms. Higher turbidity and sediment in nearshore and riverine environments can also result in the smothering of bottom-dwelling organisms.