Mangroves require warm tropical conditions. The mangrove swamp is a wetland which is covered by water only at high tide. It is found between the shore and the coral reef in tropical areas. It plays an important part in keeping the coral reef safe. You find mangrove swamps at river mouths or estuaries where the river meets the ocean.

The name comes from the trees that grow there. Mangrove swamps got their name from the trees that grow there called mangroves. The roots of these trees are long curved prop roots that hold the tree in the ground and help it to get nutrients from the soil. There are 3 kinds of mangrove trees in these swamps; red, black and white.

Mangroves are very important to the coral reefs that you find next to them. They filter out dirt and nutrients that would otherwise go out to the reef and hurt the corals. Algae would grow on the corals if the mangroves didn’t filter it out before going to the ocean.

In the mangrove swamp many baby animals begin to grow. Crabs are important parts of the mangrove ecosystem. They live in burrows (long holes) in the sand. These burrows bring oxygen into the soil and make it rich. These crabs are quite abundant on the roots of the red mangroves at Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

Sometimes mangrove swamps are cut down to make space for large hotels. This is a dangerous practice. When hurricanes or tsunami have come ashore in areas that are still protected by mangrove swamps there was much less damage done to the coastline and to human beings.

There are mangrove swamps in many parts of the world.

Destroying mangrove swamps damages habitats The endangered American Crocodile is an inhabitant of the mangrove swamp. As the swamps are cut, the crocodiles lose their habitat.

Endangered manatees are also harmed by the destruction of mangrove swamps. Many, many species of birds live in, on or among the mangroves.

Many animals live in the mangrove swamps. The Cassiopeia jellyfish who is also known as the upside- down jellyfish, is found in the waters of a mangrove swamp. Oysters and Sea Stars: Oysters are commonly found growing attached to the roots of the red mangroves.

Black mangrove at Junquilla Bay, Costa Rica.

Red mangrove at Bahia Junqullal, Costa Rica.

Furthest inland are the White Mangroves.

Mangrove life cycle.

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