Mangrove Survival: Against the Odds

A lone mangrove shoot stands in the path of development in the Bahamas.
(Matthew D Potenski, MDP Photography/Marine Photobank)

Mangroves thrive in hot, muddy, salty conditions that would kill most plants. But even these tough trees are threatened by human development. This lone mangrove shoot in South Bimini, Bahamas stands strong in the path of a backhoe dredging a lagoon. Mangroves, which provide habitat to diverse marine life and protect shorelines from storms and erosion, are disappearing at an alarming rate worldwide.