— Written by Lyle Jarvis

Why are Mangroves so Important?

Mangroves are coastal wetlands of salt-tolerant trees, with intricate root systems that create vital habitats for marine life. They're also particularly good at storing carbon (and one of the world's most vital carbon sinks) which helps fight back against climate change. In fact, estimates suggest mangroves annually sequester ten times more carbon than mature tropical forests.

Beyond their climate value, they provide coastal protection against erosion and storm surges, valued at an estimated $855 billion annually. They’re also key biodiversity hotspots, protecting as many as 341 threatened species across the globe.

Since the 1970s, the world has lost approximately 35% of its mangrove forests to coastal development, rising seas, and other climate-related threats. Historically, restoration efforts have leaned on tedious and time-consuming manual planting, which simply hasn't been able to keep pace with the warp speed of the climate crisis.

Planting Trees at Unprecedented Scale

As climate change accelerates, the speed at which we need to boost our tree planting is only getting higher. We need advanced tech to feasibly keep up with our goals, like the UAE's national target to plant 100 million mangrove trees by 2030.

In 2019, a tech company called Dendra made headlines for announcing its ambitions to plant 500 billion trees by 2060 using drone technology. Planting drones, (technically called Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) like the ones launched by Dendra, can distribute as many as 2,000 seeds in about 10 minutes!

Like any other plant, mangrove saplings face various issues growing into adulthood, like lack of water, pollution brought up by a high tide, etc. With traditional planting methods, the success rate of a mangrove sapling surviving to adulthood was only around 40%. But with the help of drones and A.I. technology, projects are now reporting survival rates of up to 98% (this particular project planting 9 million).

Because of their hugely critical role in our coastal protection and climate resilience, mangroves are atop the list of most important trees to plant. In 2023, the environmental agency of the UAE announced its successful planting of one million mangrove trees by drone, with efforts around the world following suit.

Bonus resource: NASA study maps the roots of global mangrove loss (NASA)

This is all really exciting but it’s not a silver bullet. Ultimately, the key to boosting these survival rates is mitigating the degradation of mangrove forests, driven largely by agricultural activity. Mangroves take anywhere from 5-7 years to mature, the early years being especially critical.

Mangrove Planting Spotlight: Video: Using Drones to Restore Mangrove Forests: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Madagascar (or, read the article here).

Restoration: Reaching New Heights

The benefits of these new technologies extend far beyond just the sheer number of seeds planted. Another core advantage of planting drones is their ability to operate in remote and challenging planting zones. They make it so we don't have to send personnel into dangerous, remote, or muddy terrain, lowering expenses and environmental footprints of on ground teams and speeding up project timelines.

A.I. is also learning to analyze satellite information, and craft more meticulous flight paths based on the terrain. Once the seeds are planted, A.I. models are also helping read and analyze the health of individual plants within the harvest.

Case Study Sneak Peek: Teams from the Flying Labs Network are using drones to revolutionize mangrove seed dispersal and habitat mapping in Panama, Tanzania, Fiji and beyond. [See Case Study]

Bonus Watch: Age of Change: How technology is helping restore mangrove forests (World Wildlife Fund)

Some news stories you might’ve missed this week 🗞️ 👀 

1. A judge ordered New York to follow through on its climate law (Canary)

2. Typhoon survivors from island communities in the Philippines are suing oil companies for their role in the storms (Guardian)

3. Iran is rolling out solar projects across the country. Here’s what to know. (Semafor)