Life in the Mangroves

Abstract

Most people think of the mangroves as unhealthy, smelly places with lots of mosquitoes. Yet mangroves are very important plants in the Pacific Region as they provide wood for fuel, and some of the parts of the mangrove plant can be used to make medicines. Most important of all, it is in the mangroves that many young fish live before they go out into the open sea as adults. It is these fish that provide much of the local food in many Pacific countries.