{"id":5368,"date":"2026-07-26T13:50:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T13:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=5368"},"modified":"2026-07-26T13:50:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T13:50:51","slug":"scientists-tracked-the-worlds-mangroves-from-the-1980s-to-2023-and-found-natural-regrowth-has-quietly-reversed-decades-of-decline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=5368","title":{"rendered":"Scientists tracked the world\u2019s mangroves from the 1980s to 2023 and found natural regrowth has quietly reversed decades of decline"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-132641722,imgsize-2036398,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg\" alt=\"Scientists tracked the world\u2019s mangroves from the 1980s to 2023 and found natural regrowth has quietly reversed decades of decline\" title=\"Mangroves-A forest that would not vanish across the globe\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Mangroves-A forest that would not vanish across the globe\">Mangroves-A forest that would not vanish across the globe<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Mangroves have long been considered one of the planet\u2019s most threatened ecosystems. These dense forests along tropical and subtropical coastlines were steadily being lost to urban expansion, shrimp farming, agriculture, pollution and climate change.<!-- --> Each year thousands of hectares were lost, threatening wildlife, fisheries and coastal communities that depended on them. But a striking new study suggests the narrative is beginning to change.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"3\"\/>According to online media reports, scientists who analyzed satellite images spanning more than four decades\u2014from the 1980s to 2023\u2014say mangrove forests are coming back in many parts of the world. Published in the journal Science, the research found that the historic decline in mangroves has been largely offset by natural regrowth and expansion, with global mangrove losses now slowing dramatically.<\/p>\n<div class=\"Qkqxz\">\n<h2>CJP Jantar Mantar Protest Updates<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"7\"\/>The results are one of the most positive conservation stories in recent years, showing that with protection, restoration and community support, nature has an incredible capacity to heal itself.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"9\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>A forest that would not vanish across the globe<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"11\"\/>Using decades of satellite imagery, researchers tracked annual changes in the extent and canopy health of mangroves. Rather than continuing the steep decline recorded in the late 20th century, they found that mangrove forests have entered a period of relative stability.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>An unexpected element of this turnaround has been natural regeneration, where forests come back on their own with very little human help. On several continents, new mangroves have been reported growing around major rivers, estuaries and deltas.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"16\"\/>The results also corroborate the findings of the United Nations Environment Programme\u2019s (UNEP) 2023 report, The Decade of Mangrove Forest Change, which found that global mangrove losses had largely plateaued while gains were increasingly frequent in many coastal areas.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"19\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Why mangroves matter more than we know<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Why mangroves matter more than we know\" msid=\"132641730\" width=\"\" title=\"Why mangroves matter more than we know\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" imgsize=\"\" resizemode=\"4\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-132641730\/why-mangroves-matter-more-than-we-know.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Why mangroves matter more than we know<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/>Mangrove trees make up less than 1 percent of the world\u2019s tropical forests, but they are one of the planet\u2019s most valuable ecosystems. According to environment experts, they are living barriers between the sea and the land, providing natural protection from storms, coastal erosion and flooding. Their complex root systems trap sediments, stabilize shorelines and improve water quality.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"25\"\/>If experts are to be believed, mangroves are also called climate heroes. <!-- -->They sequester vast amounts of carbon, both in their trees and in the soil beneath them\u2014sometimes called \u201cblue carbon.\u201d Mangrove forests are thought to store many times more carbon per hectare than many terrestrial forests, making them an important tool in the fight against climate change.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"29\"\/>Mangroves are not just good for the environment but also for the livelihood of millions of people. According to UNEP, healthy mangrove ecosystems support fisheries, tourism and resilience to disasters with almost 2.4 billion people living within 100 kilometres of the world\u2019s coastlines. <!-- -->More than 1,500 species of fish, birds, reptiles, mammals and invertebrates live in mangrove habitats.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"33\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Is science taking conservation in a new direction?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"35\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Is science taking conservation in a new direction?\" msid=\"132641746\" width=\"\" title=\"Is science taking conservation in a new direction?\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" imgsize=\"\" resizemode=\"4\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-132641746\/is-science-taking-conservation-in-a-new-direction.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Is science taking conservation in a new direction?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>Well, the answer is yes. The new research shows how satellite technology has transformed conservation science. By comparing imagery taken over four decades, scientists could measure where mangroves had disappeared and where they were expanding naturally. &#8220;This long-term perspective gives governments and conservation groups reliable data to work out where to focus restoration efforts and monitor progress.<!-- -->\u201cThis is encouraging news for global restoration and conservation efforts at a time when we all need that glimmer of hope,\u201d said Sinikinesh Beyene Jimma, Chief of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems Unit at UNEP.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"41\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Communities leading the recovery<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"43\"\/>This positive global trend is not happening by chance. Around the world, communities are working with scientists and conservation groups to restore mangrove ecosystems.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"45\"\/>Kenya: Science builds restoration<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"47\"\/>In the Lamu seascape of Kenya, the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), with support from UNEP and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), mapped mangrove and seagrass habitats to establish a scientific basis for large-scale restoration. <!-- -->The project trained 50 community members in blue carbon assessment and restoration techniques. It evolved into an EU-funded project that today is responsible for close to 5,000 hectares of mangrove forests through restoration, better forest management and avoided deforestation.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"51\"\/>Costa Rica: Community-Led<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"53\"\/>Conservation group Misi\u00f3n Tibur\u00f3n restored 68 hectares of degraded mangrove habitat within Costa Rica\u2019s Golfo Dulce Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary. <!-- -->Local community members established nurseries, planted over 12,000 native mangrove seedlings, and created long-term monitoring sites. Preliminary assessments documented a survival of over 80% of the seedlings, showing the long-term success of this community-driven conservation.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"58\"\/>The project also created short-term employment for fishing communities and delivered environmental education programs to more than 1,500 students.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"61\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>A recovery worth celebrating and safeguarding<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"63\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A recovery worth celebrating and safeguardin\" msid=\"132641775\" width=\"\" title=\"A recovery worth celebrating and safeguardin\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" imgsize=\"\" resizemode=\"4\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-132641775\/a-recovery-worth-celebrating-and-safeguardin.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A recovery worth celebrating and safeguardin<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"65\"\/>The new findings show that science-based conservation efforts, supported by local communities, can reverse environmental decline.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"67\"\/>But experts say the recovery remains fragile. Mangroves are still threatened by coastal development, pollution, sea-level rise and climate change. Continued investment, stronger environmental policies and long-term protection will be crucial to ensure that these forests continue to recover. For decades, mangroves have been one of the world\u2019s fastest disappearing ecosystems. Today they have something far more valuable to offer: proof that nature can recover in ways once thought impossible when science, communities and governments work together.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"69\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/science\/scientists-tracked-the-worlds-mangroves-from-the-1980s-to-2023-and-found-natural-regrowth-has-quietly-reversed-decades-of-decline\/articleshow\/132641734.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mangroves-A forest that would not vanish across the globe Mangroves have long been considered one of the planet\u2019s most threatened ecosystems. These dense forests along tropical and subtropical coastlines were steadily being lost to urban expansion, shrimp farming, agriculture, pollution and climate change. Each year thousands of hectares were lost, threatening wildlife, fisheries and coastal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Mangroves-A forest that would not vanish across the globe Mangroves have long been considered one of the planet\u2019s most threatened ecosystems. These dense forests along tropical and subtropical coastlines were steadily being lost to urban expansion, shrimp farming, agriculture, pollution and climate change. Each year thousands of hectares were lost, threatening wildlife, fisheries and coastal [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":5,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mangroves-a-forest-that-would-not-vanish-across-the-globe.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}