Mangrove Swamp
As you’ve probably guessed, mangrove swamps are filled with wildlife. The dense root systems of the salt-tolerant mangrove trees trap organic material, such as decaying plants, brought in by tidal flooding. The smaller creatures in a mangrove swamp, such as shrimp and small fish, feed on this decaying plant matter. And as the food chain goes, larger fish feed on the smaller animals and larger animals feed on the larger fish. Additionally, mangrove roots prevent erosion by holding the existing sand in place. The waves lapping against the mangroves’ roots and the occasional sound of a blue heron create a kind of music only found in a mangrove swamp. Three types of mangroves can be found in a mangrove swamp: red, white, and black. Although red, white and black mangroves belong to different plant families, their adaptations to coastal habitats link them to each other.
The red mangrove has large, rounded leaves and is typically found closest to the salt water. The red mangrove’s prop roots arch up out of the water, making the mangrove look more like a bunch of trees clumped together than one single tree. Native Americans thought the prop roots made the tree look as if it was walking on top of the water, so they named the red mangrove the “walking tree.” The red mangrove has small, yellow flowers, gray bark and produces seeds that look like miniature green cigars. The seeds, called propagules, fall off the tree and float to nearby shallow areas where they take root and start another red mangrove forest.
White mangroves usually grow furthest away from the salty water and do not have prop roots. These trees have small, rounded leaves and are closely related to the buttonwood.
Black mangroves are found in abundance along the Manatee River’s entrance into Tampa Bay. The black mangrove can be easily identified by its numerous breathing tubes, which look like pencils sticking up from the surrounding soil. These tubes allow the tree to take in oxygen from the salty water. White flowers that are rich in nectar appear year-round on the tree. If you take a close look at one of the black mangrove’s silvery leaves, you may find the silver color stems from tiny bits of salt.