Urban Mangroves Communication Tools

With increasing urbanization, coastal ecosystems are being converted to concrete structures leading to the physical and functional transformation of these natural habitats. Mangroves are one coastal ecosystem that has a long history of transformation by urbanization. Globally, mangroves provide an important source of habitat for fisheries and recreational species, carbon storage, and nutrient removal. However, it is unclear whether the pressures of urban intensity impact mangrove structure and function. My work quantifies the impact of urbanization on mangrove physical and chemical structure. I also evaluate the influence of urban activity on mangrove ecosystem functions and explore the potential role of mangrove ecosystems for mitigating nutrient-enriched urban runoff events. Increasing accessibility to this knowledge is pertinent in highly urbanized areas where mangrove services such as habitat, shoreline stabilization, and nutrient processing are needed. It is imperative to share these results with a diversity of stakeholders to help in the conservation and restoration of these vital coastal ecosystems in urban areas. I will increase accessibility of these research findings by submitting my manuscripts as open access publications, translating my work to Spanish for an Ask IFAS submission, and designing and implementing a lesson on mangroves and their ecosystem services to next-generation scientists.