Resumen en Espaņol The Mangrove Replenishment Initiative (MRI) evolved from relatively humble beginnings as a local project along the central east coast of Florida. But in the last few years it has contributed to a wide range of habitat creation and restoration programs that are international in scope. In addition, MRI directed and coordinated programs have been conducted to achieve educational objectives for participants involved in restoration projects. Mangrove trees offer significant and unique habitat to birds, mammals, crustaceans, and fish populations through a complex marine food chain, creation of breeding habitat, and establishment of restrictive areas that offer protection for maturing offspring. In addition, mangroves contribute to improved water quality by filtering and assimilating pollutants, stabilizing bottom sediments, and protecting shorelines from erosion. The necessity of implementing mangrove replenishment projects is supported by the documented reduction in mangrove trees not only throughout Florida's estuary systems but also as a worldwide epidemic of mangrove habitat loss. Increases in population, waterfront development, agriculture, boating, recreational and related activities have resulted in significant increases in the types and quantities of pollutants reaching intracoastal and coastal waters. These factors have contributed to a significant decline in mangrove habitat necessary to maintain commercial and recreational fisheries; therefore, the importance of mangroves in marine ecosystems has dramatically increased. As a natural member of estuary systems, mangroves mitigate the environmentally adverse and destructive effects of development and consequential pollution, provide for coastline protection, and a healthy marine environment. Loss of wetland habitat has been a major problem in the lagoon systems where mangrove forests have been destroyed by development, land reclamation, or impounded for mosquito control. Sea walls and bulkheads have replaced miles of mangrove-fringed shoreline. Previous opportunities to replenish these losses have been severely limited by the conclusions drawn from the failure of restoration projects based on conventional planting methods. Inadequacies in conventional planting methods, including sensitivity to tidal action, wave activity, and the wrack line, limit the potential for creation and restoration of mangrove habitat. A major problem in successful planting with conventional methods is the difficulty in finding suitable locations with adequate and appropriate environmental conditions favorable to the rooting and sustenance of the mangrove during its early stages of development. To have any potential of establishing shoreline mangroves when using conventional methods, the seedlings must be planted only in areas well shielded from any substantial wave action or upland run-off. These conditions translate into restrictions not simply on the geographic location of a potential replenishment project, but also on the relative size and range of any planting. Many shorelines that would be desirable for mangrove establishment present formidable factors that prohibit the successful introduction of the tree with conventional methods. Much of the initial work done by MRI volunteers was in support of the research efforts to develop and define a methodology for establishing self-sustaining, mangrove-stabilized shorelines; particularly shores that had been modified by shoreline hardening (revetments, bulkheads, retaining structures) or areas where topography has been artificially changed such that physical shoreline conditions were no longer favorable for natural mangrove recruitment.

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