ALFRED P.

SLOAN Protecting Mangroves in Thailand

FOUNDATION through Local Education

Project Information

Principal Investigator Grantee Stockton University

Organization:

Amanda Capriglione Amount $1,000,000

Katie Coburn Requested:
Caitlin McCabe Requested Start May 1st, 2018
Sheana Schneidereit Date:
Stephen Wolfsgruber
Requested End November 1st, 2018
Date:

Project Goal

The goal of this project is to inform local citizens about the importance of mangroves in Thailand
so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Objectives

To meet this goal, the team will work with local citizens through education both in the field and
in the classroom. This will be done through a variety of methods.
Proposed Activities

To support these objectives, the team will collaborate with local aquaculture farmers, as well as
educate the community about the importance of mangroves in nature, utilizing the use of
workshops and seminars. The team will also reach out and speak locally to communities about
the importance of mangroves. Then, the team will visit each of twelve locations across Thailand
and restore damaged mangrove sites.
Expected Products

At the end of this project, the team will publish a report describing the results. The results will
also be published on a website.
Expected Outcomes

If the project is successful, the public will have an enhanced understanding of the importance of
mangroves. The main outcome of the project is the almost complete, if not total, restoration of
mangrove forests in Thailand and new policies regarding protection of mangroves.
 Table of Contents

1. Section I- The Issue 2

2. Section II- Proven Success. 4
3. Section III- Qualifications.. 4
4. Section IV- The Solution.... 4
5. Section V- Outputs.. 5
6. Section VI- Justification for the Amount of Money Requested..5
7. Budget. 7
8. Appendix I- References8
Section I
The Issue
Mangroves have been pushed aside in the public's view of threatened habitats. They are
among the top threatened habitats with rainforests, but tend to go unnoticed and unrecognized to
most of the public unlike rainforests. With less than half of the original mangrove coverage in
the world, about 50 percent of destruction has been because of shrimp farming alone and have
now surpassed the rate of disappearance of tropical rainforests (About Mangroves). The problem
with mangrove destruction is that the causes are known and preventable. Many sources have
directed the blame towards three major issues: unregulated and unsustainable developments, lack
of public and government support for importance, and very little enforcement and monitoring of
the forests (About Mangroves). Conservationists have recently could reach out to the public
about how severe the destruction has become. In just a short amount of time, it was determined
that one in six mangrove species worldwide are in danger of extinction, as well as an
estimation that 80 million acres have been lost and only 37 million remain (About Mangroves).
A chunk of mangrove loss has only occurred within a short 50-year period. Current rates of
mangrove loss have been determined to be an average of 370,050 acres per year (About
Mangroves).
These statistics do not only prove a need for conservation and change, but they rise alarm
to other current environmental issues also. Mangrove forest destruction is directly related to or
affecting oceans, biodiversity of ecosystems, climate change, and sea level rise (About
Mangroves). Mangroves have an important role in ecosystems because they can help control
erosion, protects against coastal storms, and absorb carbon dioxide. Some even believe that
mangroves may be one of our last defenses against the perils of climate change and global
warming (About Mangroves). Exploitation of mangrove forests continues to occur due to the
belief that they are not very important to conserve. This continuing misconception has allowed
mangrove forests to be neglected for the use of inexpensive resources (About
Mangroves). Before drastic changes in industry, these forests were used in sustainable manners
by local populations. However, recently they have become burden to several unsustainable
developments like shrimp aquaculture and deforestation for charcoal and oil purposes (About
Mangroves).
Mangrove forests should be conserved for many ecological reasons. The threatened
habitats are home to several endangered species, aquatic and terrestrial, and offer a wide range of
biodiversity (About Mangroves). Often, the public fails to recognize the ties a habitat has with its
local species. If the endangered species of fauna and flora residing in mangroves are of
importance, the mangrove itself must also be of relative importance to decrease endangerment of
species. The endangered species that depend on mangroves include the Royal Bengal tigers,
manatees, sea turtles, birds, crustaceans, fish, monkeys, and lizards (About Mangroves). Aside
from the importance of mangroves regarding its inhabitants, they are also extremely important to
the surrounding areas of land and developments. Mangroves act as barriers to the surrounding
land and species from storms that protect against soil erosion, high tides, flooding, and act as
biofilters that filter nitrogen and phosphorous in runoff (About Mangroves). The barriers that
mangroves provide often helps decrease property damage in developed areas along the coast and
the harmful risks humans are exposed to during hurricanes. Mangroves are huge resources for
the animals and plants that inhabit them because they are often areas of refuge, nurseries and
migrations. The benefits of mangroves to the environment go a long way in decreasing
pollutants. Their ability to absorb and store carbon dioxide has been proven to decrease the
effects of climate change and global warming. Research has determined that mangroves are
much more efficient for sequestering carbon than any other terrestrial species with a total of
approximately 1336 lbs. of carbon per acre every year (About Mangroves). Mangroves also have
substantial effects to external ecosystems and habitats as well as their own. Sea grass beds and
coral reefs that provide shelter and nurseries for several species themselves, also depend on the
productivity of mangroves to remain sustainable environments (About Mangroves). The
importance of mangroves to the biodiversity of the plant can be generalized into a few simple
facts. As much as 75 percent of tropical and subtropical marine life depend on mangroves for
some part of their life. There are also 54-75 species of mangroves that are only found in specific
regions of the planet, specifically intertidal zones with the largest variety of species diversity
being found in Southeast Asia (About Mangroves).
Shrimp farming and aquaculture is one of the leading factors resulting in devastating
amounts of mangrove forest destruction. One of the main reasons why there are so many shrimp
farms in Southeast Asia is because governments and development aid agencies have been
promoting the activity to help fight poverty (Farmed Shrimp). Even though shrimp farming has
helped promote business and the economy in these areas, huge problems have arisen from the
development of these farms. Often, the shrimp farms are only in use for about two to four years
without any further uses after the farm has terminated its production (Public Citizen). This leads
to massive amounts of destruction because the farmers continue to clear cut areas repeatedly.
This has not been a sustainable or productive use of the land. Along with the destruction due to
the large areas of clear cut mangroves, left abandoned or in use, the farms produce a huge
amount of pollution due to the fertilizer, antibiotics, and excrement in the habitat (Public
Citizen). These pollutants become over concentrated in unnatural amounts that are too much for
the ecosystem to handle and eventually become a burden on the other species in the surrounding
area and the health of the mangroves. Another result of shrimp farming is the overpopulation of
plankton because the shrimp that are being farmed are taken from the natural process of the
ecosystem and the plankton have less predators (Public Citizen). This explosion of plankton
directly affects other species within the mangrove forests since the plankton consume the oxygen
in the water, with more plankton, there is a lack of oxygen for the other species that need it. To
help protect the ecosystem and habitat of the mangrove forests, the ponds must be carefully
managed by preventing the wastes from the farms from polluting the surrounding area and
changing conditions to prevent bacteria and diseases from dominating the ponds (Consumer
Reports). The chemicals used by the shrimp farmers need to be regulated, promote
environmentally friendly waste, and regulated to prevent harmful chemical exposure through the
consumption of shrimp by humans. The ponds the shrimp farms are in should also begin to be
altered so that they can have higher productivity with higher sustainability as in increasing the
length of use by farmers.
Section II
Proven Success
There have been successful projects that focused on educating local people about the
importance of mangroves and how to care for them. Many successful education projects have
been completed by the Mangrove Action Project. One of their classes is called the Ecological
Mangrove Restoration (EMR) class which is a six-step program that involves the community in
working to promote the importance of mangroves and educate the citizens on how to care for
them. It is important to engage the local communities, because they will be there after we leave.
This program engages the local community and has proven to be very successful in past years.
The community enjoyed this program because it helped them to understand how they can affect
their own area. One piece of feedback the heads of the program got was that they needed to use
more simple language so that the people could understand it more clearly (Education). Another
program this group completed was the Marvelous Mangroves. Like the EMR class, this program
seeks to educate citizens about what they can do to protect the mangroves they live near. When
this group brought this program to Bangladesh, they worked with local schools. They did this so
that the children would be informed about why protecting mangroves is important. It helped to
raise a new generation that would protect the Mangroves. They also brought the children on
fieldtrips to get hands-on experience.
Section III
Qualifications
The project will be completed has been planned and researched by organizers at Stockton
University in Galloway, NJ. Stockton University has a commitment to environmental protection.
A lot of the energy used on campus is from renewable sources and it has a large Environmental
Studies and Science program. The directors of this program were chosen for their diverse
interests in environmental science, education, and human rights. A translator, guide, and three
interns will also be coming on the trip to complete all the work that will be done.
Section IV
The Solution
The team will promote the conservation and restoration of mangrove forests mainly
through education and will educate the citizens of Thailand about the importance of mangroves,
their role in nature, such as decreasing the impact of powerful tsunamis on local habitats and
communities, and the benefits of more productive aquaculture farming (Ecological Mangrove
Restoration). The team will start by visiting 12 different locations in Thailand that have the most
damage done to their mangrove forests, spending two weeks per location and plan to work with
local aquaculture farmers and educate them about the importance of mangroves, teaching them in
a classroom setting about the sustainable options for shrimp farming to save the mangroves. The
team will also focus on interactions within the local communities and what the mangroves mean
to them as well. In these community interactions, the team will disseminate information such as:
What is the mission? How will the community be impacted? How will the community be
different after the restoration has taken place? How can they help to protect the mangroves from
outside development and investors? How can the community help to preserve the new mangrove
farms?
On Days 1-3, the team will visit each farmers land and analyze the level of damage and
destruction done to each mangrove site. The following day, the team will describe the
importance of the mangroves to the farmers and the greater environment and will also educate
the farmers on the various species of shrimp and provide successful reproduction techniques. On
Day 5, the team will go over the available options and design the restoration program for each of
the lands. On this day, specific case studies of previous restorations will be reviewed and the
team will outline what made them successful or a failure. Lastly, during the final week, each site
will be re-visited and the team will work with each farmers lands individually, making them
custom designed to accommodate each site to the best available solution. While at these sites, the
team will focus on proper mangrove planting techniques, optimized land maintenance, and how
to spot and deal with stresses (ex- lack of groundwater, grazing by animals etc.). After all of this
is done with each site, the team will stay in contact with the farmers and community leaders via
the internet to assist with any problems that may arise and to check progress.
Along with the five members, the team will also have a translator, three interns, and a
guide. The three interns will help the team advertise more productive shrimp farming and
speaking locally. They will also provide the team with the supplies we need and anything else
they might ask for. The translator will help them understand and translate the language of the
citizens of Thailand so the team can understand them. The guide will let the team know where
they can work and will also show them around the area so we become familiar with the areas that
we will be working in. Both the translator and guide will be essential in helping the team to build
strong, lasting relationships with the communities (EMR Illustrated Manuals; 5-Step-EMR-
Manual [PDF]).
Section V
Outputs
For the outputs for our project to restore mangrove forests in Thailand, the team will be
advertising our plans to the local communities in the country for them to support the cause. The
team will be producing and handing out pamphlets and posting flyers around residential areas
related to the nearby mangroves and information about local shrimp farming. Also, available will
be registration forms for classes, handouts, and workshop information. There is a probability
conferences would be held in the time where program directors can explain their findings and
take recommendations for future areas and projects associated with the restoration of the
mangroves and shrimp farming, as well as what could be taught in future classes based on what
residents have experienced and would like to see repaired. Special events will be held to promote
our cause over the course of the six months the team will be spending in Thailand, spanning
twelve locations throughout the country.
The projects main objective is to promote two week classes in each of our twelve chosen
locations, in which will train civilians living in the area about what they can do about restoring
the mangroves and teaching them the research and methods that goes along with the restoration
(see solutions section). The output of the classes would be having trained residents in Thailand
that would be able to work in the field and to have residents who can continue teaching classes
and expanding the knowledge of mangrove restoration. The target is both the young and old -
anyone who is interested in the idea of the program can participate. The more people that are
aware of the situation and who are willing to provide their services to the project, the easier and
more efficient that project will become and there will be more visible changes over time. These
changes will benefit the environment in Thailand, which in turn will benefit the civilians living
in areas which are seeing the degradation of the mangroves.
The end goal of the project is completely restoring the mangroves located along the
coasts of Thailand. With the residents of the country notified about the endangerment of the
important wetland area, we will have the support to proceed with the program and have the
materials to complete the project. The public will hopefully be inspired to join in on our effort to
inform the world about the importance and to also spread information about the mangroves to the
rest of the world. Also, expected would be the support from the government; they could
introduce policies that would lead to the protection of the mangroves, as well as putting
regulations on shrimp farming, which would be highly beneficial to the project.
The project is expected to inspire countries that possess mangroves along their shorelines
to begin procedures like this project as well. This project encourages education of the natural
environment that people may not have known before and that information can be spread
worldwide. With the restoration process, residents may notice that their land becomes more
fruitful.
Section VI
Justification for Money Requested
The money will be divided up into different sections including staffing, travel,
educational materials, and advertising. The five program directors will each be receiving
$50,000. This will encourage them to work hard and have the program the best that it can be.
The interns will also receive a monthly payment. Paid internships tend to have higher
competition and better more dedicated interns will apply to be a part of this program. The
translator and guide will also receive a monthly payment because they will be essential to the
outcome of this project. Without them we would have no way to communicate with the locals
and no idea of where to go in the country.
Another some of this grant will be spent on travel and transportation. This section
includes flights, visas, and in country transportation. The team will be renting a RV which
requires gas and repairs. There are some more general costs including computers, medical
supplies, and phone access.
While of that spending in necessary, the most important money that will be spent will be
used on the project and its goals. Local advertising that inform people of our presence will be
essential to getting people to participate in our programs. The team also plans to invest money
into each area they visit. This money will go to necessities such as classroom materials and
general costs of the program. The remaining money not specified in the budget will go towards
unexpected costs, and any leftover money will be put back into area.
Section VII
Budget

Appendix I
References
5-Step-EMR-Manual [PDF]. (2006, April). Yogyakarta, Indonesia: Mangrove Action Project,

from http://mangroveactionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/5-Step-EMR-Manual

.pdf.

About Mangroves. Retrieved April 27, 2017, from http://mangroveactionproject.org/.

Consumer Reports. (2015, April 24). How safe is your shrimp? Retrieved April 27, 2017, from

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/06/shrimp-safety/index.htm.

Ecological Mangrove Restoration. Retrieved April 27, 2017, from

http://mangroveactionproject.org/ecological-mangrove-restoration/.

Education. Retrieved April 27, 2017, from http://mangroveactionproject.org/education/.

EMR Illustrated Manuals. Retrieved April 27, 2017, from

http://mangroveactionproject.org/emr-illustrated-manuals/.

Farmed Shrimp. Retrieved April 27, 2017, from

https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/farmed-shrimp.

Public Citizen. The Environmental and Social Impacts of Shrimp Aquaculture. Retrieved April

27, 2017, from http://www.citizen.org/cmep/article_redirect.cfm?ID=12521.