Restoring mangroves in Ecuador
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Film by
Leslie Von Pless
Communities depend on a thriving mangrove ecosystems for food and livelihoods, and a square mile of healthy mangrove forest can sequester carbon 10 times faster than the same area of mature tropical forests. But mangrove forests can also emit greenhouse gases when disturbed or degraded.
In Ecuador, fishing communities and scientists are working together to restore these forests and understand the climate benefits they provide to the world.
"We are measuring baseline greenhouse gas fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane," says Monica Moritsch, a scientist at Environmental Defense Fund. "And we’re going to compare that to what happens after restoration so we can better understand what restoration does to climate benefits for mangroves."
