Abstract
Despite all efforts and massive investments, the restoration of mangroves has not always been successful. One critical reason for this failure is the vulnerability of young mangroves, which cannot grow because of hydrodynamic disturbances in the shallow coastal water. For a comprehensive study bridging ecological and engineering principles, a portable community-based reef is proposed to shield mangroves from waves during the early stages of their growth. A series of field observations were conducted on Amami Oshima Island (Japan), to observe the growth of young mangroves and their survival rate under moderate wave conditions. The evolution of young mangroves was also observed in the laboratory under a controlled indoor environment. At the research site, it was confirmed that, after six months of germination, young mangroves could withstand normal high waves. Laboratory-grown plants were lower in height and had fewer leaves compared with the native mangroves on Amami. Based on these results, an economical reef system was designed. For this purpose, the Ahrens formula for the design of a low-crested reef breakwater was revisited. The results showed that a 50-cm-high reef constructed with 15-kg stones can protect mangroves that are a few months old and effectively promote early mangrove growth.
Highlights
Mangrove forests are the most productive ecosystems on the planet among various marine ecosystems [1]
The results showed that a 50-cm-high reef constructed with 15-kg stones can protect mangroves that are a few months old and effectively promote early mangrove growth
Several studies on the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami reported that the loss of human life was significantly lower in the presence of mangrove forests, it was dependent on the distance and elevation of human settlements from the coastline [3,4,5]
Summary
Mangrove forests are the most productive ecosystems on the planet among various marine ecosystems [1]. Mangroves play a crucial role in protecting coastal regions by reducing the damage caused by tsunamis, storm surges, and tropical cyclones and in saving human settlements. Several studies on the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami reported that the loss of human life was significantly lower in the presence of mangrove forests, it was dependent on the distance and elevation of human settlements from the coastline [3,4,5]. The advantages of mangrove forests are referred to as “ecological resilience” for their ability to absorb hydrodynamic disturbance [11]. Mangroves are considered to be a green infrastructure that contributes to disaster prevention through flood regulation, erosion control, sediment trapping, nutrient recycling, wildlife habitat, and nurseries [1,12,13,14,15,16]
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