FIU plants half an acre of mangroves along Biscayne Bay

FIU’s School of Environment, Arts and Society (SEAS) recently hosted a mangrove planting event at the Oleta River State Park as part of its ongoing efforts to restore the mangrove forest along Biscayne Bay.

An estimated 75 people, including faculty and students from FIU, Miami-Dade College and Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High School, planted 1,500 red mangrove seedlings throughout half an acre of land Oct. 22.  

“This event is part of an education and engagement initiative where we’re reaching the broader community by working with the state park and students and faculty beyond FIU,” said Jennifer Grimm, environmental coordinator at the Biscayne Bay Campus.

The mangrove seeds, or propagules, used for this planting were collected from BBC’s shoreline at the “9/11 International Coastal Cleanup” service event in 2010. Once collected, they were transported and maintained at the Mourning high school greenhouse. After a full year of growth and care, the seedlings were ready to be planted at the Oleta state park.

“This initiative is a great way to get students outdoors to experience the natural environment so they learn to become better stewards of it,” Grimm added. “This is true in keeping with the mission of SEAS and FIU to use education and research to ensure a sustainable future.”

Mangroves serve as a source of food, shelter and as a nursery ground for countless species of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, birds, bald eagle and reptiles, including the threatened American crocodile. Below the water, mangroves are home to different types of sponges, corals, starfish and seagrass.

“Mangroves are important to the human species as well. They create a buffer system along the shoreline that protect us from rising sea levels and storm surges. An example is the 2004 tsunami that struck Thailand. The areas with an established mangrove habitat suffered less damage than those areas that had removed mangroves or open beach areas,” Grimm said.

In the United States, the growth of mangroves is limited to the subtropical, coastal environments of Louisiana, Texas and Florida. Ninety percent of Florida’s mangroves are in South Florida, including Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Biscayne Bay is known for its mangroves, but parts of the bay have been cleared to make way for urban construction and public beach access.

The Oleta River State Park will provide continued care and maintenance to the newly planted mangroves.