As barrier islands along South Florida's Coast have been developed, large swaths of mangrove have been destroyed. This has been unfortunate due to their important role in coast stabilization, habitat for sea bird rookeries, the protection of marine fisheries and, most recently, carbon capture.
At our condo development on Longboat Key, which dates from the late 1960s, coastal mangroves were destroyed though offshore mangrove islands remain intact along the margin of Sarasota Bay. A few years ago, we noticed that a solitary red mangrove (photo) was growing in a rock pile along our sea wall; left alone, it has steadily grown and would spread if it were not at the edge of the boat channel (which will surely be kept open).
Mangroves spread by various propagules, including seeds, buds, roots and stem segments that float to nearby shallows and give rise to new growth. Hopefully, the condo maintenance team will respect this pioneer plant and allow it to adorn the sea wall for many years to come.
