DETERMINING PATTERNS OF MANGROVE SPECIES DOMINANCE IN DIFFERENT LIFE STAGES ACROSS DIFFERENTLY-AGED SITES POST CREATION IN TAMPA BAY, FL

Olivia Stortz, Eckerd College, Marine Science Discipline

Jeannine M. Lessmann, Eckerd College, Marine Science and Biology Disciplines

Mangrove forests are a vital ecological system found commonly along the coastlines in the United States and worldwide. Mangrove forests are essential ecosystems rich in blue carbon, rivaling the primary productivity of any other ecosystem, such as rainforests. Anthropogenic development threatens and removes these forests, leaving coastlines vulnerable to environmental conditions, such as flooding and rising sea levels, while reducing habitat for other organisms. Creating mangrove forests is essential in combating the loss of these forests. In our study, we determined the density of the mangrove trees at different life stages in the three different species, white (Laguncularia racemosa), red (Rhizophora mangle), and black (Avicennia germinans) at three differently aged sites. The sites were all differently aged post-creation at each annual sampling (≤ 24 years post-creation), with the sampling period being between 2015-2023. The three differently aged sites are in the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Reserve, Hillsborough County, Florida. White mangroves consistently demonstrated a high dominance in seedling recruitment over red and black mangroves throughout the study’s eight years. Likewise, red and black mangroves began to dominate over white mangroves in the juvenile life stage. This suggests that white mangroves can be considered pioneer species in created mangrove sites due to their high level of dominance in seedling recruitment. The results from this study can be used to understand further the successional pathway of created mangrove forests over a long-term study, as opposed to the three to five years generally required after creation. 

For more information email: ogstortz@eckerd.edu