Life in Tidal Waters

Plankton communities living in mangrove waters are well adapted to the physics of water motion. The chemical properties of tidal waters are also affected by hydrology, with the relationship among plankton and nekton, water physics, and chemistry a nexus of consequential and inconsequential links. A consequence of secondary flows induced by strong bottom friction and complex topography is the aggregation of floating mangrove debris which attracts a menagerie of bacteria, protists, zooplankton, and fish. Likewise, tree stems, roots, and fallen timber—and their epiphytes—are attractive to many organisms entering the forest on the flood tide.

Mangrove plankton and nekton live in a murky milieu; the water is stained a brownish-green hue by the presence of polyphenolic compounds leached from litter and by suspended fine silt and clay particles. Mangrove waterways and channels are a harsh environment, with rapid currents or stagnant pools of water and variable temperatures, salinities, suspended solid loads, oxygen, and pH. Whether a source of food, shade, or refugia, mangrove forests are an important habitat for coastal organisms that either float or swim on the ebb and flood of the tide.