Along the coast of French Guiana, mangrove forests take root where rising mudflats begin to dry and crack. Fruits carried by the tides become trapped in the sediment, allowing seedlings to establish themselves. As the canopy grows, its shade suppresses the algae that once sustained the mudflat’s food chain.
Breathing roots and salt glands help the trees survive salty, oxygen-poor soil, while deer, jaguars and scarlet ibises inhabit the forest. Leaves and wood decompose, releasing nutrients that rain carries back to the mudflats. Even as the trees age and die, the mangrove’s contribution continues through the carbon accumulated in its soil and the nutrients feeding coastal life.
Documentary: Silt, Source of Life
Director: Luc Riolon
Production: Les Films en Vrac, France Télévisions, Ushuaïa TV, IRD & UICN (2023)
#mangroves #mangroveforest #frenchguiana #mudflats #coastalecosystems #tides #plantadaptations #nutrientcycling #carbonstorage #scarletibis