Mangroves act as a natural buffer defending coastal communities from flooding by dissipating wave energy and storm surges all over the world. But specifically in Mexico, an environmental group will be planting and protecting them as a tool for fighting climate change.
“We’re looking to protect 38,000 acres of mangroves on the Baja Peninsula and also in the Gulf of California, which equals one million people’s carbon emissions annually,” says Zach Plopper, the conservation director at Wildcoast.
In this interview, Plopper explains how the environmental group’s #1MILLIONMANGROVES can actively fight climate change, as they store up to 50 times more carbon per acre than tropical forests even though they cover just 0.1 percent of the planet’s surface. This would equal offsetting the daily commutes of one million people. On top of that, preserving the mangroves helps other environmental causes like aiding gray whales, combatting sea level rising, and gives sea turtles a safe breeding ground.
