KOROR STATE GOVERNMENT MARINE TOUR GUIDE ... - C3

from the mud (snorkel roots) to allow absorption of oxygen in an otherwise anoxic (no
oxygen) substrate. Roots extend from the branches and trunks providing better
anchorage for plants on a muddy, soft substrate. Tough and moist leaves with internal
water storage tissue, and in some species, slat-excreting organs maintain salt and water
balance.
3.3.3 Mangroves in Palau
Mangrove forests are among the many unique ecosystems in Palau. They are found
along coastlines, river banks, low coral islands, and surrounding marine lakes. Palau has
eighteen species of mangrove plants including the palm tree called Nypa palm
(touechel), tall Rhizophora trees (bngaol and tebechel) and ferns. Many animals make
their homes in Palau’s mangrove forest, including the saltwater crocodile, (ius),
mangrove crab (chemang), mangrove clam (ngduul), mudskipper (temaitolok), and the
banded archerfish (uloi).
Mangroves in Palau, like those throughout the tropics, provide a wide range of ecological
services that benefit local communities directly and indirectly. Mangroves are very
productive coastal resources that are useful in many ways. The leaves of the mangrove
trees fall into the water and provide food for animals like crabs and fish. Much of this
food is also carried out to the coral reefs and lagoon where it becomes a source of
nutrients for the fish.
Roots of the mangrove trees provide shelter for many animals. Open water and reef fish
come to reproduce in the forests and many juvenile fish remain there taking shelter
before going to live on the reef when they are larger. Mangroves serve as nursery areas
for valuable reef species including snappers (kedesau), rabbitfish (meas), mullet (kelat),
emperor fish (udech) and goatfish (bang). Other animals that make their home in the
mangrove forest include some endemic and threatened species such as the owl
(chesuch) and fruit bat (olik). The mangrove forests are a critical habitat upon which
these species depend for survival and if they are destroyed, the future of these species
will be at risk.
Mangroves act as a buffer between the clear waters of the fringing reef and the silt-laden
run-off from Palau’s urban towns and red mountain peaks. When debris from the land
gets washed into the mangroves, the swamp traps the pollution and sediments, leaving
clean water to go out onto the nearby reefs. Their roots form a giant sieve, trapping silt
that might otherwise smother the delicate corals. As long as there are limited amounts of
sediment entering the mangroves, and no poisonous waste from industries or farms, the
mangroves act as an excellent filter system.
Information Source: PICRC Publication 02-021 Mangrove Fact Sheet
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