Straddling land and sea and teeming with life, mangrove forests are key to healthy coastal ecosystems, but it is only in the last few decades that people have begun to realize their importance. Ironically, during this same period, mangroves have disappeared with alarming speed. By some estimates, less than 50 percent of the world's mangrove forests were intact at the end of the 20th century, and half of those that remain are in poor condition. Mangrove forests are among the most threatened habitats in the world, and mangrove loss is rampant across the globe. Thailand has lost 84 percent of its mangroves, the highest rate of mangrove loss of any nation, while the Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania, Mexico, Panama, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, and the Philippines have each lost more than 60 percent of their mangrove forests. Most mangroves grow on public land, only about 1 percent of which receives any sort of protection. Even where some legal designation or protection is in place, preserving mangroves is difficult because of development in the form of:

Shrimp Farming

By far the greatest threat to the world's mangrove forests is the rapidly expanding shrimp aquaculture industry. Hundreds of thousands of acres of lush wetlands have been cleared to make room for artificial ponds that are densely stocked with shrimp. Shrimp farmers dig channels to supply the ponds with enormous quantities of freshwater and seawater. These water diversions alter the natural flow of water that maintains the health of surrounding mangroves as well as ecosystems farther inland and offshore. Diverting water can harm mangroves by preventing their seeds from being dispersed via seawater, and it can kill the trees by cutting off freshwater supplies. When diverted inland, seawater may contaminate farmland or freshwater below the ground. Shrimp farmers also use massive amounts of chemicals and antibiotics to keep the overcrowded shrimp healthy. This chemical soup, along with enormous quantities of organic