Mangroves are found in over 100 countries and more than 20 territories across the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. These unique intertidal ecosystems provide essential goods—such as fuelwood, fish, shellfish, medicinal plants, fibers, and timber—as well as crucial services including shoreline stabilization, storm protection, and support for cultural, recreational, and tourism-related activities. They directly benefit millions of people living in coastal communities.
Mangroves are exceptionally carbon-dense, with carbon sequestration and storage capacities that match or even exceed many terrestrial forest species. As such, they play a significant role in climate change mitigation for people everywhere, regardless of their location. These ecosystems also harbor extraordinary biodiversity, serving as vital habitats for the full or partial life cycles of numerous species—many of which are rare, threatened, or endangered.
This presentation defines mangroves, describes their distribution, and reviews the wide array of goods and services they provide. After outlining the global context, the focus will shift specifically to Senegal’s mangrove ecosystems. Despite their multiple values, mangrove loss continues across many regions, driven largely by human activity. This presentation highlights the remarkable diversity of ecosystem goods and services delivered by mangroves—from the hyperlocal to the global scale—and reinforces the urgent need for effective conservation, restoration, and sustainable management initiatives.
Andrew Butt is a Forest Carbon Associate at Tayo Climate Partners, based in Vancouver, Canada. He has five years of experience in project management, geospatial analysis, carbon quantification, and land use and land cover mapping. He currently supports Tayo in the development and implementation of forest carbon projects aimed at promoting sustainable climate change mitigation solutions.
Andrew holds a Master’s degree in Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM) and a Bachelor’s degree in Geography with a specialization in Environment and Sustainability, both from the University of British Columbia. These qualifications provide a solid foundation for his technical expertise in environmental management and geospatial technologies.
Throughout his career, Andrew has contributed to a range of carbon projects around the world, including Afforestation/Reforestation (ARR), Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), Improved Forest Management (IFM), and Agricultural Land Management (ALM). He has worked closely with government agencies, NGOs, and private sector partners.
Trevor Jones brings over 20 years of experience in applying geospatial data and field- based measurements to study and manage forests across Africa, Asia, North America, and South America. In collaboration with the marine conservation NGO Blue Ventures, Trevor was instrumental in establishing and managing the Blue Forests Project in Madagascar (2011–2015).
His work included the very first national estimates of total mangrove carbon stocks in Madagascar, the establishment of the country’s first loss-on-ignition soil analysis lab (at the University of Antananarivo), and the development of the Tahiry Honko Plan Vivo blue carbon flagship project. He also contributed to the creation of Google Earth Engine's Global Mangrove Mapping Methodology (GEM).
In addition to his many years working in and around Madagascar’s mangrove ecosystems, Trevor also contributed to blue carbon ecosystem assessments in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 2013 to 2015. His work across mangrove landscapes has included the establishment of hundreds of reference plots for forest inventory and classification, the installation of surface elevation tables (SETs), and the development of new approaches to harness emerging tools, data, and technologies for ecosystem mapping and monitoring.
From 2018 to 2024, Trevor worked with Ostrom Climate Solutions, where he supported a variety of forest carbon projects in ecosystems ranging from coastal mangroves to high mountain forests around the globe.
