Global Mangroves Expand Over 2,000 Sq Km Since 2010 as Protection Curbs Earlier Losses
Updated
Updated · The Conversation · Aug 6
Global Mangroves Expand Over 2,000 Sq Km Since 2010 as Protection Curbs Earlier Losses
3 articles · Updated · The Conversation · Aug 6
Summary
More than 2,000 square kilometers of Mangroves have been added worldwide since 2010, marking the first period in satellite records when expansion outpaced decline.
Protection laws in former loss hotspots such as Myanmar and Indonesia helped slow clearing, while rising seas and new mud flats created fresh salty habitat in places including Australia.
The rebound does not mean mangroves are fully recovering: the study found forests are still thinning overall, with degradation tied to harvesting, pollution and extreme weather.
More than 12,000 square kilometers were lost between the 1980s and 2010, underscoring why mangroves matter as coastal storm buffers and carbon stores that hold about four times more carbon than other land forests.