Mangroves along the coast of Florida are vital to protecting landward areas from surge and lashing waves in hurricanes.
It turns out the growth of mangrove canopy cover is regulated by changes in the Moon’s cycle according to new research coming out of Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
It may seem strange how the Moon can impact mangrove growth but the connection comes from the pull of the moon’s gravity on the tide cycle.
Researchers used satellites to see the changes in the mangrove canopy cover across the entire Australian continent between 1987 and 2020.
The lengthy case study revealed how mangroves expand their canopy when the extra tug from the moon pushes high tides higher.
The tidal boost is not steady but occurs approximately every 9.3 years. The cycle then switches to a lower than normal tide phase completing an 18.6 year oscillation.
Gray mangroves died off during a period of reduced tidal flooding a lunar minimum in 2015 resulting in a significant canopy decline in Australia.
The mangroves in wetland ecosystems provide a vital sink trap for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and this research will play a role in developing more accurate climate models.