27 May 2011 – The Conservatoire du littoral, an IUCN member, has carried out an inventory of the mangroves in France overseas. For the first time it presents the extent and distribution of these ecosystems associated with coral reefs between the eight regions located in the Caribbean, Amazon, Indian Ocean and the Pacific.
The mangroves are ecologically, culturally and economically very important. They provide indispensable fish nurseries, filter coastal pollution and provide wood for local populations. They also play an important role in protecting the coasts from tropical storms and tsunamis.
The report entitled Les Mangroves de l’outre-mer français : Écosystèmes associés aux récifs coralliens (Mangroves of France overseas: Ecosystems associated with coral reefs) includes an analysis on recent evolution, biogeographical distribution, biodiversity and role of mangroves. It also identifies various threats such as natural pressures, climate change and anthropogenic pressures, and provides an overview of safeguards that are currently in place.
The analysis includes Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean, French Guiana in the Amazon region, Mayotte and Scattered Islands in Indian Ocean, and New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna in the Pacific.
The report was prepared upon the request of IFRECOR, the French Initiative for Coral Reefs.