Get ready for an adventure in the mangroves. There are more than 600,000 acres of mangroves in Florida, and there are so many benefits to having them.
The team at IMAG History & Science Center in Fort Myers joined Gulf Coast News to walk us through the mangroves to learn more about the "walking trees."
Mangroves thrive in salty environments because they obtain their freshwater from saltwater. There are three types of mangroves in Florida — red, black and white mangroves — but there are more than 50 varieties worldwide.
The red mangrove is the most well-known, growing along the water's edge with its tangled, reddish roots called prop-roots. These roots have earned mangroves the title of walking trees. The black mangrove usually occupies slightly higher elevations upland from the red mangrove. The black mangrove can be identified by the numerous finger-like projections that protrude from the soil around the tree's trunk. The white mangrove usually occupies the highest elevations farther upland than either the red or black mangroves. These mangroves have no visible aerial root systems.
Mangroves play a vital role in protecting shorelines from erosion and storm surges and they also provide habitats for various species, including many that depend on them for nurseries.
For more information, check out the IMAG website .
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment and more.