Heritiera

Mangroves protected villages and reduced death toll during Indian super cyclone

Background

While protection against storm damage is discussed as an ecosystem service of mangroves, there is debate about whether there is sufficient evidence for these claims. Multiple studies on this topic use small sample sizes and have a lack of controls for confounding factors. However, quality research exists that effectively demonstrates mangroves’ ability to protect coastal communities from tropical storm surge. Thus, it is necessary that future studies focusing on mangroves’ protective capabilities from tropical storms follow higher research standards to effectively provide evidence for this ecosystem service.