Mangrove forests are unique ecosystems that thrive at the interface between land and sea. Particularly adapted to living in salty and brackish waters, mangroves are found along the coasts and estuaries of 123 tropical and subtropical countries. Mangroves provide critical ecosystem goods and services to the approximately 2.4 billion people living within 100 km of the coast. Mangroves protect against storms, erosion and flooding, are sources of food and timber, improve water quality and sequester carbon. Mangrove forests also provide natural habitat for over 1,533 different species, including nursery habitats for many commercially important fish, and are beneficial to the health of adjacent ecosystems, such as coral reefs and seagrass beds.

Source: UNEP