In Brazil's North region, members of the population of red mangrove trees (Rhizophora mangle) do not often meet relatives from the South and vice-versa. However, occasional migrations via ocean currents between the two regions involving propagules, seeds adapted to seawater, enable populations to exchange genetic material and remain connected during their evolution.
This is one of the conclusions of a study reported in the journal by Brazilian and Japanese researchers.
Mangrove forests form a unique wetland ecosystem, inhabiting the edge of land and sea, rooted and thriving in seawater. Mangroves play a vital role in coastal ecology and in sustaining and securing coastal communities.
Rhizophora is one of the main mangrove genera, found in all regions of the planet, and red mangrove is distributed in estuarine ecosystems throughout the tropics. Transoceanic dispersal and the cosmopolitan presence of the genus make it a good model for in-depth analysis of coastal ecology. Studies of red mangroves in Brazil can also help prioritize conservation areas, as they are important nurseries for various marine species and store large amounts of carbon.
"Research along these lines helps identify places where mangroves are releasing many propagules in both the North and Northeast and the South and Southeast of Brazil. It could be worthwhile creating conservation units in these areas," said André Guilherme Madeira, first author of the article.