Mangrove Forests

Mangrove forests are important because they provide critical habitat for adult fish and act as nursery habitat for juveniles. They also stabilize the shoreline and help prevent damages to coastal properties due to storm surge or erosion. Mangroves help maintain water quality and clarity by trapping sediments, absorbing nutrients, and removing pollutants from land that would otherwise end up in estuaries and the coastal ocean. - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission