Mangroves are making a comeback across the world after decades of loss, thanks in part to warming temperatures. Louisiana could benefit from the spread of the rooty aquatic tree, which would provide unique protection against erosion in vulnerable coastal areas.
A new study from Tulane University found that, after deforestation and coastal development in traditional habitats such as southern Florida hit mangrove populations hard, vitally threatened forest ecosystems are now having a renaissance.
“After decades of loss, we’re finally seeing a global turning point for mangroves,” Zhen Zhang, a postdoctoral scholar at Tulane’s School of Science and Engineering and lead author of the study, said in a news release. His work was published this month in the academic research journal Science…