April 18, 2021

This plant is known as Black Mangrove

It is valuable for erosion control

It serves as a nursery for crustaceans and fish and

For nesting coastal birds, it plays a large role.

Location: Indian River Lagoon Preserve State Park

Sources: https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_avge.pdf

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

June 20, 2019

Location: Vero Beach, Lagoon Greenway

Sometimes while walking though the forest,
You smell an awful, truly awful, stench.
It's the mangroves decaying, which is a good thing,
But it smells like hell, if you'll pardon my french.

Sources: Marine Education Society of Austrailasia - Mangroves of Australia

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

August 8, 2018

Location: Vero Beach, Lagoon Greenway

These are pneumatphores of a Black Mangrove
Which was cut down, this is what's left of the tree.
Pneumatphores are hollow or contain spongey tissue,
Which is how the Black Mangrove breathes.

Very special thanks to Carol Hebert for correcting my initial ID, and to Harry Breidahl taking the time to send me an email explaining in detail what I took a picture of. Quoting from his email:

"What you have observed here is the structure of a mangrove root system that allows it to survive in the aerobic (oxygen free) mud in which it grows. That wonderful smell of rotten-eggs generated by mangrove forest mud is the clue to the fact that this mud is an oxygen free environment (rotten egg gas = hydrogen sulphide). Because the roots of a mangrove tree are living they need oxygen to survive and the role of the pneumatophores is to provide this oxygen.

Here is how it works - pneumatophores are either partially hollow or full of spongy tissue and when the tide is out this allows the pneumatophore to adsorb fresh air. Then (and here is the fun bit) when the tide comes in and covers the pneumatophores the water pressure forces the ‘fresh’ air down into the mangrove roots. Because the tide goes in and out twice a day that means that mangrove roots breathe in twice a day and out twice a day. "

Click the link below for an excellent graphic that explains it further.

Sources: Marine Education Society of Australasia - Mangroves of Australia


Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

July 7, 2018

Location: Vero Beach, Lagoon Greenway

This is a Black Mangrove
The flowers are are white and it has pointed leaves.
Black Mangroves live close to the water
With their pneumatophores surrounding the tree.

Sources: Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory - Black Mangrove

Photo and text © 2018 Dee Fairbanks Simpson