The Correlation Between Mangroves and Coastal Aquatic Biota

Abstract

Mangrove forests are important for the productivity of estuary ecosystems, including diversity and population of coastal biota because of their contribution through the fall of litter so that mangroves as the first chain of tropical chains on the coast. Most of marine biota species are thought to be highly dependent on mangrove areas from west to east tropical region. About 70% of fish caught were only found in mangrove forests that were still good. The fish population and species in healthy mangroves were 159-234% and 116-129% greater than mangrove forests that have been degraded, respectively. The loss and degradations of mangroves also causes fishermen income to decrease. Therefore, the healthy mangrove should be maintained with properly management as well as the degraded mangrove should be restored based on scientific basis. Conserving and restoring mangroves are becoming a very productive investment, not only for the present generation, but also for future generations.