Hurricane Ian's toll on Bunche Beach mangroves still felt years later

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — From the outside, it looks like a forest frozen in time, but what's happening under the mud could hold the key to why some of Southwest Florida's mangroves are still struggling years after Hurricane Ian.

"It's like you're stepping into, I don't know, like some sort of decrepit forest," said Megan Ricardo, a Florida Gulf Coast University student. "It just feels empty and desolate."

One might wonder how it ended up like this.

Florida Gulf Coast University professor Dr. Brian Bovard says Hurricane Ian dealt the biggest blow, followed by Helene, Milton, and other storms that continued to add stress to the already struggling forest.

"We had probably what, like, about 12 to 15 feet of storm surge out here," Bovard said. "When tidal surge comes in, it can deposit sediment on the forest floor, and that can suffocate the roots and kill the trees."

That's why a team is now waist-deep in the water, digging up soil and filling vials. They're searching for answers underground.

FGCU is filling 90 vials to ship to Wales, where the mangrove soil will be tested for microbial activity and nutrient content. The project, in collaboration with Bangor University in Wales, aims to understand the enzymatic activity of the microbial community.

In simple terms, they're studying the tiny microbes living in the soil to see whether they're breaking down the ground faster now that the mangroves are gone. The team is also investigating whether new mangroves can still take root here.

"The mangroves aren't producing leaf material because they're dead, they're not producing roots below ground because they're dead, and the microbial community is being exposed to more sunlight now," Bovard said.

Most importantly, researchers want to know what can be done to help the system recover. They're exploring ways to restore these systems and jump-start recovery so it can happen more quickly than the forest can on its own.

Right now, the system faces a long road ahead. "It's going to take the system maybe 5-10 years to actually recover," Bovard said.

The research is taking place on Bunche Beach Preserve.