Where do over a third of the world’s sharks find food and shelter? The surprising answer: Forests.
Covering around 4.2 million square kilometers (or over 1.6 million square miles) of the Earth, marine forests like seagrass meadows, kelt forests, and mangroves provide sharks with habitats where they can thrive.
“All these ecosystems have their quirks, but mangroves may be the most unique of all. Harboring life between their roots and among their crowns, mangroves function as an essential bridge between land and sea. And to survive between these worlds, different mangrove species have evolved various adaptations that protect them and their resident sharks.
How do these useful trees—the only trees that can live in Earth’s oceans–protect our coasts, create strong, diverse habitats for all kinds of animals, and effectively store carbon between their roots?
Learn about these incredible ecosystems in this TED-Ed lesson by marine ecologist Luka Seamus Wright, directed by William Cifuentes of Lucy Animation Studio.
Watch these mangrove tree and carbon storage videos next:
• Why are mangrove trees so important?
• How do bison help fight against climate change?
• How to Save Our Planet
• How can nature be used as a tool to restore ecosystems?
Plus: More shark videos.
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