Mangroves

Mangrove estuaries are a critically important habitat for many Reef species

Many fish rely on mangroves to provide shelter

Mangroves are found in intertidal areas on sheltered shorelines and in the saline reaches of rivers along the length of the Great Barrier Reef.

Mangroves within and bordering the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park are some of the most pristine and diverse mangrove forests in the world. Individual estuarine stands may contain up to 28 species and there are at least 37 species in the entire World Heritage Area.

This wide diversity of species is reflected in an equally diverse range of structural forms in a rich and varied string of estuarine habitats that support a wide range of dependent organisms.

Mangrove forests occupy approximately 2070 km² spread along the length of the coast adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. About 95 per cent of this forest is on the border of the World Heritage Area, not actually inside it. However, all mangrove forests within and adjacent to the World Heritage Area are interconnected with, and form a critical part of, the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem.

Many species of animals, particularly some fishes and crustaceans, spend part of their lifecycle living in the mangrove forest and the remainder living in other parts of the ecosystem, such as on the coral reefs.