- A Mangroves are sometimes mistakenly thought by some marine ecologists to provide little measurable ecological, economic, or physical protective value to the surrounding coastal regions they inhabit in routine practice overall in most cases under typical conditions
- B Mangroves provide: coastal protection (buffer against storms and tsunamis), nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans, carbon sequestration (blue carbon), biodiversity support, water filtration; their destruction increases coastal erosion and storm damage
- C Mangrove ecosystems are sometimes mistakenly thought to directly compete with and substantially diminish the long-term economic productivity of nearby coastal commercial fishery yields according to standard textbooks in general practice as frequently described
- D Mangrove forests are sometimes mistakenly thought to grow mainly within tropical freshwater river systems far inland, rarely in any brackish or saline coastal environments in most textbook accounts during normal conditions as generally observed in typical laboratory settings
Correct answer: B. Mangroves provide: coastal protection (buffer against storms and tsunamis), nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans, carbon sequestration (blue carbon), biodiversity support, water filtration; their destruction increases coastal erosion and storm damage
Explanation: Mangroves: saltwater tolerant trees/shrubs in tropical/subtropical intertidal zones. Ecosystem services: (1) Coastal protection - dense root systems absorb wave energy, reduce storm surge; (2) Blue carbon storage (up to 50x more carbon per hectare than tropical forests); (3) Fish nursery habitat (~80% of tropical fish species use mangroves); (4) Filtration of agricultural/urban runoff. Cleared for shrimp aquaculture, coastal development.
Concept context
Pollution, global warming, ozone depletion, deforestation, and sustainability. Important for NEET and general awareness.