Mangroves are different kinds of trees and bushes from normal height that grow in salt water in the tropical and subtropical areas. The saline conditions tolerated by various species range from briny water, through pure seawater, to water concentrated by evaporation to over two times the salinity of ocean seawater.
Mangroves are similar to amphibians because they live in water and in land. When visiting the mangroves we learned that there were little plants that have bugs as their defense mechanism and whenever they are touched the bugs come out in defense.
Mangroves form the most complex ecosystems on the planet. Birds rest on the canopy, shellfish attach themselves to the roots, and snakes and crocodiles go there to hunt. They provide food to some animals, shelter to crabs and other animals, and a nectar source for honeybees and bats.
There are about 70 different types of mangroves. They change from little shrubs to 200 meter high timber trees. It is thought that the mangroves originated in Southeast Asia. Most mangroves usually live within 30 degrees of the equator but some have adapted to different temperatures. Mangroves have ultra filtration systems that help keep the salt water out and a complex root system that helps them survive.Mangroves protect coastal areas from erosion, storms and Tsunamis.
What we saw?
We saw lots of little bugs, crabs, birds, and toads. The birds we saw were blue and white, and they screamed like the monkeys. The crabs were red and black. Some crabs were big and others were very small. The small ones were usually white with black stripes on them. The big ones had huge claws and it hurt a lot when they pinched. We also saw the trees mentioned before that had bugs as their defense mechanism. These trees did not only have bugs but they had really long spines that could go through a shoe! We also saw little toads jumping around the mangroves.
What we smelled?
The mangroves smelled like humidity. They smelled tropical, similar to the humid forest. They smelled similar to how hair smells after being soaked into salt water and then dried up.
What we heard?
At the mangroves we heard monkeys, birds and the waves. The monkeys were constantly screaming above us but they weren't as easy to see as to hear. We could see the trees moving because of the monkeys jumping on them but we didn't see them. The birds flew above us and they sat on the trees watching us and chirping. We could see them flying over us and we saw that they were blue and white. We heard the waves go from a crashing sound to a calm sound once they entered the water under the mangroves.
Where we saw it?
We saw all these animals in the Junquillal beach in the Guanacaste Park in Costa Rica. We took a short hike to the mangroves and there Vivi, an OpEPA helper, taught us about mangroves, monkeys and more.
When we saw it?
We saw the mangroves on March 25 2011. We went at around 12 in the morning and we stayed there until 12:20. Although it wasn't a long time period we expanded our knowledge about mangroves and some animals.
Mariana Salazar, Gabriela Valderrama, Paola Boccalon.
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