II. Mangrove Community
Mangroves play a role both on land and in the water. In one way in which this plant species is a terrestrial tool is by stabilizing shorelines. The mangrove "wall" between the land and the sea protects the shoreline from erosion and minimizes destruction from powerful waves. Due to mangroves being a naturally flexible plant, they are able to withstand severe damage of winds, waves, and changing tides for thousands of years. Mangroves minimize the loss of property and human lives throughout the globe. Mangroves are such an abundant species that in some areas they form their own islands called mangles. A mangle is, "a term for an assemblage of mangroves interlocked to form patches, which can further extend seaward as a fringe around the shoreline or as a distinct island" (Kraynak & Tetrault, 2003). Mangroves live in shallow water areas and gather sediments that support the root structures. "Mangrove forests help to build up soil along tropical coastlines, buffer from storms, and at the same time provide a habitat for many popular marine organisms such as crabs, shrimps, and oysters"(Prance, 1998).