Editor,
Over the past two weeks I have helped to collect over ten thousand red mangrove seeds, known as propagules, in South Abaco. Why? I am a Bahamas Environmental Steward Scholar with the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) and I am currently interning at Friends of the Environment, and assisting Ms. Denise Mizell from the Perry Institute for Marine Science. Our mission is to collect and disperse these propagules across areas of Abaco to restore the mangrove population that was destroyed by Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
I experienced Hurricane Dorian first hand and the destruction that I witnessed was astounding. Not only were homes, businesses and lives lost, but the surrounding ecosystems of my island community were absolutely devastated. Throughout primary school, I had learned to appreciate the natural world around me and its benefits, however, at the age of thirteen, to see everything stripped away, was shocking. I quickly realized that as we rebuilt our community we also needed to restore, preserve and protect our ecosystems. We are connected and we depend on them to survive. I had a desire to be a part of this action.
Mangroves are such a key ecosystem in The Bahamas and make up the majority of our coastal habitats. With their proximity to the shore, mangrove’s roots are the coastline’s first defense against storm surge, meaning that they reduce coastal erosion and the flooding impact of hurricanes. Mangroves also act as a nursery for juvenile fish, conch and crawfish, protecting them from larger predators so they have a greater survival rate. Once they become adults, they can be a food source, reproduce and help sustain our fishing industry, and also support eco-tourism.
Mangroves face many threats such as overfishing, coastal development, pollution and climate change. With rising ocean and atmosphere temperatures, The Bahamas is likely to endure stronger storms in the future. This is why it is essential that we protect our existing mangrove ecosystems as they serve such a vital purpose.
With each propagule we collect and disperse, we are taking a step to ensuring that we have lasting mangrove populations that protect and sustain us, and in turn, caring for the environment that takes care of us. I share this with you, with the hope that you will not only learn about and appreciate this ecosystem, but will be encouraged to seek ways in which you can become involved in caring for our natural Bahamas, whether it be mangrove restoration or another conservation effort you find yourself passionate about.
