Mangrove forests have been protecting coastlines around the world against erosion and storm surges for millennia. But in 2020, the residents on many islands in the Maldives noticed that many of their mangrove forests were starting to die off. Where once these forests had been lush, now they were turning brown and lifeless.
Our team of scientists has worked closely with coastal communities in the Maldives to investigate that 2020 phenomenon. In our new study, we highlight how mangrove die-off events like this have big implications not just for the Maldives, but also for other island nations and coastal ecosystems around the world.
