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Mangroves once blanketed Miami Beach. As with many coastal areas of the world, the mangroves of Miami Beach were decimated in the name of progress and development. Globally, we have lost over 50% of the world's mangrove forest, and we continue to lose hundreds of acres of mangrove forest every year. Why haven't we learned to coexist with our natural environment instead of obliterate it?
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Early Miami Beach developers clearing Mangrove Forest at the site of present-day Lincoln Road.
The photo depicts looking West down Lincoln Road, circa 1905.
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Photo courtesy of the Florida Photographic Collection at
www.floridamemory.com
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Mangroves are an extremely valuable ecosystem.
They act as breeding grounds for juvenile fish and rookeries for countless birds. Their roots stabilize the shore, provide life-saving protection from the effects of hurricanes and trap pollutants within their sediment. They provide beautiful coves for fishing, canoeing and recreation. Many coastal fisheries would crash without mangroves. Mangroves give us a sense of place.
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| Roots of the Red Mangrove acting as a nursery |
Click here to learn more about Mangroves and their importance...
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| Or Click here to download a PDF of "Florida's Mangroves", courtesy of and thanks to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. |
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Mangroves, however, are just a weathervance for numerous disappearing ecosystems locally and across the globe, from coral reefs, to rain forests, to the urban forests in our own backyards.
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