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Mangrove EcologyMangroves are salt-tolerant trees that grow in coastal areas and intertidal zones of tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Three species of mangroves dominate the northern Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean region, namely red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), and white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa). In the United States, mangrove populations have long persisted in the tropical Everglades region of south Florida and fringe populations along subtropical coastal settings of Texas, Louisiana, and northern Florida. Mangrove forests represent valued habitat for fish and wildlife and help protect the coast by building shoreline and buffering storms. The National Wetlands Research Center supports a robust research program of field and modeling studies of national and international scope to increase our understanding of the role, function, and value of mangrove species and forests and their susceptibility to climate change. Research
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