Mangrove Adaptations

1. Red mangroves have prop roots to help anchor them in the loose mud and protect them from strong winds, waves, and tides.

2. Black mangroves have pneumatophores, vertical shoots that spring up all around the base of the tree and bring oxygen to the rest of the root.

3. Rather than being dispersed immediately, mangrove seeds begin to grow roots while still attached to the tree. The germinated seeds, propagules, take root quickly once they are dropped by the parent tree.

4. Mangrove leaves have a thick, waxy coating called a cuticle that helps hold in water.

5. Mangrove leaves are equipped with salt pores to get rid of excess salt.