Article by by Dr. Rahanna Juman, IMA Director (Ag)/ Wetland Ecologist
Photo: Caroni Swamp, Trinidad and Tobago.
On July 26, 2026, we joined the rest of the world in observance of International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. This day, declared in 2015 by the General Conference of UNESCO, is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of mangrove ecosystems as “a unique, special and vulnerable ecosystem” and promote solutions for their sustainable management, conservation and uses.
Do we know how blessed we are to have mangrove forests on our islands?
Mangrove forests are one of the world’s most productive ecosystems in the tropic and sub-tropics as they enrich coastal waters and serve as the ‘supermarket’ of the sea (Numbere, 2018), providing numerous services that contribute to human well-being, environmental health and poverty alleviation. According to scientific studies, coastal forests contribute an estimated US$42 billion to global fisheries, store 25.5 million tons of carbon per year, and provide flood protection to over 15 million people annually. They act as an important environmental barrier between shores and lands, protecting the inhabiting ecological and social communities from the adverse impacts of extreme events, such as hurricanes and storms worldwide. Further studies demonstrate that mangroves are estimated to reduce costs associated with impacts such as flooding by over US$65 billion annually.
In addition to providing protection against storms and coastal flooding, mangrove forests have the highest area rates of carbon capture and storage compared with any other ecosystem, terrestrial or marine, contributing disproportionately as a carbon sink, if left undisturbed. Scientists have shown that on average, mangroves have a mean whole-ecosystem carbon stock around 2.5–5 times higher than the mean ecosystem carbon stock found in temperate, boreal and upland tropical forests.
In a 2026 technical paper co-authored by Hamish Asmath and Rahanna Juman, mangrove coverage in Trinidad and Tobago in 2025 was estimated at 7,819.04 ha and above and below ground carbon in our mangrove forests was estimated at 148.06 Mg/ha, which equals to 1,157,687.06 Mg of carbon stored in mangrove biomass alone. The soil carbon pool in mangrove forests is estimated to be at least 4 times more (and likely considerably higher) than the aboveground pool, making mangrove forests amongst the highest carbon dense ecosystems in the world, and providing climate mitigation benefits.
Our coastlines, especially the Gulf of Paria, were once lined by these large magnificent trees with intertwined roots beaming with wildlife. It is where our grandfathers and fathers hunted crabs to put in the Sunday callaloo, and harvested oysters that were sold in spicy sauce around the Queen Parks Savannah. In Trinidad and Tobago, the mangrove forests provide livelihoods for people who harvest and sell fish and shellfish; the most economically important is the harvest and trade of the hairy crab, the blue crab and the mangrove oyster. Many also earn a living as tour guides as mangrove forest provide invaluable opportunities for recreation and tourism.
Navin Kalpoo, tour operator in Caroni Swamp, noted that while mangroves filter sediment and clean the water before flowing into the Gulf of Paria, they also capture a lot of solid waste that is harmful to organisms, and an eye sore for visitors. This has negative impacts on his eco-tourism product.
Mounds of rubbish in tidal channels can inhibit tidal flushing and increase salinity levels, stressing the habitat and creating spaces for mosquitoes to breed and transmit viruses such as Dengue. Plastic waste can be trapped by mangrove trees and can be found on the surface or buried in the sediments where it becomes immobile and can create prolonged anoxic conditions, changing the physical and chemical composition of sediments.
Mr. Kalpoo stressed the need for public education and sensitisation and hosted a coastal clean-up at Caroni Swamp on July 25, 2026 to raise awareness of the importance of mangroves and the need to reduce land-based pollution. The Institute of Marine Affairs supports local communities and stakeholders in undertaking these awareness initiatives.
If we want to conserve our mangrove forests so they can continue to capture and store carbon dioxide and mitigate the impacts of climate change while at the same time providing us with food and photos, and protecting us against storms and coastal flooding, all our citizens must become meaningfully engaged in mangrove conservation. Let us appreciate and protect our mangrove forests.
Happy International Mangrove Day!
References
Alongi, D. M. 2014. “Carbon Cycling and Storage in Mangrove Forests.” Annual Review of Marine Science, 6(1), 195–219. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-010213-135020
Asmath, H and Juman, R. 2026. Above-ground and Below-Ground Carbon Assessment of Mangrove Forests in Trinidad and Tobago. Report prepared for the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre
Leal, Maricé and Spalding, Mark D (Editors), 2022 The State of the World’s Mangroves 2022. Global Mangrove Alliance.
Numbere, A. 2018. Mangrove Species Distribution and Composition, Adaptive Strategies and Ecosystem Services in the Niger River Delta, Nigeria. In: Mangrove Ecosystem Ecology and Function Edition: 1Chp 2. Intech Open, DOI:10.5772/intechopen.79028
Walker, J.E., Ankersen, T., Barchiesi, S., Meyer, C.K., Altieri, A.H., Osborne, T.Z. and Angelini, C., 2022. Governance and the mangrove commons: Advancing the cross-scale, nested framework for the global conservation and wise use of mangroves. Journal of Environmental
