Photo of the day

Mangroves are, simply put, miraculous. They can store four to ten times as much carbon as terrestrial trees, burying it deep within their roots. In the face of rising tides and more severe storm surges, these blue forests offer coastal resiliency, mitigating as much as $65 billion in damages from natural disasters annually. What’s more, mangroves serve as a home for many species, helping to bolster biodiversity for marine habitats while supporting small-scale fisheries and ecotourism. Yet, mangrove forests are being lost at alarming rates worldwide. In the late 20th century, the planet lost up to 2% of mangroves globally each year to agriculture, aquaculture, and wood for housing and charcoal. Now, rising sea levels and soil erosion also threaten these blue carbon ecosystems. When mangroves are degraded or destroyed, the trees go from sink to source, releasing the carbon stored in their roots back into the atmosphere — so projects to protect and restore these ocean forests, like those you support as an Only One member, are incredibly important and bring us hope.