Tasmania, Australia  

No Mangroves in Tasmania – yet!

Today there are no living mangroves reported for Tasmania situated south of mainland Australia in the cool Southern Ocean. But there is fossil evidence there to let us know that these warm-climate-loving plants were present there 40 million years ago. So, conditions must have changed dramatically for such habitats to have been excluded since then. Now, as conditions warm again, it seems realistic to anticipate the natural return of mangroves to Tasmania. Already other northern marine species are making their way to Tasmanian waters.

The big question is, what will local custodians do? Will the early mangrove colonists be removed? This is an important question for the on-going management of the temperate saltmarsh-dominated tidal wetlands there.

However, it is arguable that a far greater threat to these unique wetlands comes from the spread of Spartina species, introduced from Northern America and proven to be very aggressive in many places.

 

No Local Groups with MangroveWatch Training

There are a number of dedicated community groups – some associated with the catchment management authorities there. With these groups, there is a host of environmental enthusiasts keeping watch.

 

For More Information

Contact: mangrovewatch@gmail.com