This issue features an Invited Feature Article by Joanna C Ellison who describes a methodology to formally quantify the vulnerability of mangroves to sea level rise and human impacts by integrating biotic and abiotic factors along with human management components. It quantifies the exposure, the sensitivity and the adaptive capacity of the mangrove ecosystem. This provides the local communities and decision makers a stress test that can be used to decide on adopting adaptation measures to keep the mangrove system within the bounds of tolerable risk. This assessment of vulnerability is not a one-off exercise but must be seen as a baseline against which to establish long-term ongoing monitoring.

The Editor