Mangroves are like nursery schools for many of colorful fish that populate coral reefs. Among the roots and nutrient-rich waters in coastal mangrove swamps, juvenile fish get food and protection from predators until they mature and can migrate offshore to the reefs. These valuable nurseries are disappearing at an alarming rate, and so are the fish they support.
(Illustration by E. Paul Oberlander, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)[back]
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