Grey Mangroves

Description:

Mangroves are essential habitat where bountiful and beneficial fish live, feed and breed. Mangroves nurture much of the country's fish catch. Coastal mangroves protect reefs by filtering catchment runoff, and reducing shoreline erosion. Healthy mangroves support healthy corals with clearer, cleaner water - lower in sediments and chemicals. In the case of this spotting, each square kilometer of mangrove forest contributes around 600 tonnes of plant material each year to the estuarine food chain. They also protect the river shoreline from wave action.

Habitat:

Badu Mangroves in Sydney's Bicentenial Park. The park supports approximately 60 hectares of mangrove forests. It is part of a network of habitats along the Parramatta River, and these are the largest stands of mangrove forests in the Parramatta River estuary. Salt pans, tidal ponds, and mangroves (both Grey and River species) dominate the area. These mangroves are only a stone's throw from Sydney's Olympic Park, where the 2000 Olympics were held.