Mangrove Swamps
...are three types of mangrove trees. The red mangrove is quite water tolerant, grows well in the mudflats, and is easily recognized by its arching, stilt-like roots. The black mangrove typically grows at levels covered by high tide, but exposed at low tide. They are identified by the root projections (pneumatophores) that stick up out of the mud in the shade of the trees and look like asparagus. The white mangrove has no particular root structures and is found, generally, farther from the water. The Mangrove Swamps have thousands of estuary channels running through them and are broken apart by bays and sounds which make them extremely productive biologically. They provide a home for so many organisms, from microscopic to larvae to shrimp and oysters to hundreds of fish and bird species. Many of these smaller organisms depend on the mangroves roots for protection and for food. The Mangrove Swamps are known ...