A mangrove sunrise is one of the most spectacular scenes you can see. Egypt offers you just such an opportunity in 28 locations scattered along the Red Sea coast, along the main Egyptian-African shoreline as well as that of the Sinai Peninsula. Mohamed El-Hebeishy discovers the secrets behind the mangrove. The mangrove is a woody tree that grows in coastal habitat, exclusively tropical and tidal. Tropical since the mangrove survives at temperatures above 19 degrees Celsius, with no temperature fluctuation exceeding 10 degrees Celsius. And tidal since the fluctuations caused by the tidal force is deemed vital in that it brings essential nutrition and removes wastes from the mangrove community. Though the mangrove is capable of surviving in a fresh water environment, it grows mostly in saline waters. But how does the mangrove adapt to harsh saline water? Mangrove is equipped with an adaptive root that allows water to pass through while filtering salt out. In some mangrove species, the desalting process occurs through glands located on mangrove leaves; those species are denoted as salt. The mangrove is essential to the surrounding eco-system in various ways. It provides a nursery area for a number of fish and invertebrates; it acts as a nesting as well as resting site for both resident and migratory birds. Most importantly, mangrove trees are natural wave breakers that protect against coastal erosion and tsunami tidal waves. Though the mangrove is of vital importance to both nature and man, it faces threats from both. Man over-exploits the highly water-resistant wood that the mangrove provides, destroys natural habitat in the name of development, and pollutes water in terms of oil spills and herbicides. Camel grazing is a natural threat indirectly initiated by mankind; grazing in mangrove thickets causes habitat degradation as camels reduce green leaves, limit tree growth and most fatally, destroy seedlings by stepping on them. The photo shows a mangrove thicket in Wadi Lahmi.
