Dead zone
On a Tuesday morning in December, fog hung heavy over San Marco Road. This 10-mile asphalt stretch connects Marco Island with Tamiami Trail. The section bordering Fruit Farm Creek, on the north side the road is lined by healthy mangroves. Their foliage is thick and dense and difficult to penetrate. It is a different story on the south side. For decades, the road has blocked water flow between these two sections of wetlands. Mangroves are one the most resilient plants in Southwest Florida. They can grow in saltwater but they need water to survive.
Morning fog adds an unsettling stillness to the landscape. The tall snags, once black mangroves, rise up to 20-30 feet in the air. They look like driftwood, but are now dry, gray, and gnarled. They are covered with a thin layer yellow-colored foam and in an unmoving layer of water. Walk 100 yards east to find the water moving and the mangroves alive. The air is thick and vibrant with the chirps of frogs, brackish water smell, the quick darts by herons, and egrets. There is no noise in the 64 acres of mangrove death. There is no movement. There is no smell beyond the fetid waters. The devastation is nuclear: It is a dead land. Or, to put it another way, it is a dying place.
But it won’t be for too long.
In September 2021, a team of researchers from Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve started work on one the largest mangrove restoration projects within the state of Florida. The Fruit Farm Creek Mangrove Restoration Project is going to install three 54-inch-diameter conduits under San Marco Road. They will connect the two sections of wetlands, and return sheet flow back to the mangrove forests. The project is estimated to cost $1.4million, which many believe is a fair price.
Southwest Florida’s mangroves are crucial not only for the health and safety of the ecology but also to protect against storms. This is what biologists, marine engineers, developers and others know. These competing interests are what create the problems. Even though we create jobs in trades, construction, and other trades, as well as adding more property value on the tax roll, while we attract new residents and visitors who funnel millions of dollars into state coffers, we run the risk of losing one of our most important areas of the Gulfshore.
ProtectingThe ecosystem
Imagine the green propagules from mangroves, as thick and long as a finger, and some with green leaves already sprouting at their tips. They drift along the Gulf of Mexico currents to reach Southwest Florida’s coast. There they are tossed along the shoreline with seashells, which look like cordwood. Some will grow and land just right, but many others disappear into the debris that lies along the shoreline.
This is exactly what mangroves have done for millions of year. They propagate via stick-like envoys which follow ocean currents to new locations. Scientists believe that mangroves were first discovered on the Gulf coast sometime between 66 and 23million years ago. This occurred during the period between the lower Miocene and upper Cretaceous periods. Mangroves first developed in the area that today includes India and Southeast Asia. The Bay of Bengal was the first place where they were found. They then traveled westward towards the Horn of Africa, then the southern tip of Africa before drifting into Atlantic Ocean. They eventually moved northward into Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico where they established themselves in the warm coastal areas of the Americas.
They flourished there. Mangroves thrive in salty conditions, which is a rare trait for most plants. They secrete salt through the leaves, which allows for the uptake and survival of water. The mangrove thrives in coastal environments, where even the most hardy natives can be severely affected.
Mangroves, which are located above water, provide esthetic benefits.These are essential nesting and resting places for coastal birds. In their branches, pelicans, herons and egrets create rookeries for magnificent frigatebirds. These trees are used to shelter from predators and raise young.
Mangroves below water provide essential habitat for fish, crustaceans, and shellfish. They are nurseries for small fry and shelter young fish as they grow. Ask any weekend fisherman to tell you where the best spots to catch snook, red snapper, and sheepshead. Without mangroves, Southwest Florida’s commercial and recreational fishing industries would be devastated.
OriginalhUrricanepRotection
Consider this: Mangroves act as a barrier against coastal storms. A recent joint report by The Nature Conservancy, insurance professionals, and mangroves helped to prevent $1.5 billion in property damage from Hurricane Irma. They reduced the annual flood risk for properties in Collier County by 25.5%. The dense foliation, thick branches, intertwined root systems, and dense foliation act as a first line against storm surge and wind. If mangroves are removed, the coastline will be exposed to the elements and exposed to the rising tides and strong winds of the tropical storms.
Dr. Win Everham is a professor at Florida Gulf Coast University’s department of ecology and environment studies. If you protect mangroves, you protect yourself. Everham is an environmental scientist and has been working in the Estero Bay area for 25 years. He says that storms can be caused by the loss of vegetation along the coast. Storm surge is a result of storm surge if mangroves are removed. This is not an opinion. This is how ecology works.
ComplexlEgal matter
Mangroves are crucial to the health and well-being of the Southwest Florida ecosystem. They protect birds and fisheries in the area. They also protect the coast against devastating hurricanes. They are so resilient that it is difficult to protect them.
Development is the answer, as it is often in Southwest Florida. This region is loved by visitors and new residents. They love the Gulfshore’s wildlife and water. They also want a waterfront home that has a view. The state of Florida has been trying to balance this desire for unrestricted access to the coast with the need to preserve our fragile marine ecosystems for years.
The Mangrove Trimming & Preservation Act was passed by the Florida Legislature in 1996. It was meant to simplify the years of confusing regulations surrounding mangroves. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued a permit that prohibited mangrove trees from being trimmed, removed, or otherwise disturbed. The act also prohibits the use any herbicide or chemical to defoliate mangroves. The FDEP is responsible for both creating policies and enforcing protective steps.
A delicatebAlance
A compromise is necessary between the needs for a healthy environment and the growing economic demands. Florida has nearly half a billion acres of mangroves. Hans Wilson, the founder of Hans Wilson & Associates, a Fort Myers-based marine engineering company, said that this is possible. Wilson claims that people believe they are destroying mangroves in a Western free-for all. Wilson says that this is not the case. He believes that most people are actually following the proper permitting process.
He says that people come from different places and are looking for the ideal Florida environment. A beautiful green lawn that runs down to a concrete seawall and then open waters. Many people don’t have the respect or knowledge necessary to appreciate Southwest Florida’s natural systems. It is the responsibility of the private sectorbuilders and architects, as well as marine engineers such Wilson, to protect this fragile ecosystem. Wilson strongly believes that people can achieve design goals while using nature as a partner.
Let’s take, for example, a single-family home located on a site with mangroves running along the shoreline. Wilson explains that some people arrive with the intention of building a vertical seawall and nuking the mangroves. Wilson explains that his firm offers better options such as elevating the house. This allows the mangroves to remain in place while still allowing for a view of water.
Another option is to trim a window from the mangroves according to the state mangrove trimming regulations. This will allow the homeowner to see the mangroves while still allowing them to remain in place. Wilson says you keep the mangroves producing debris, which goes into water for fish and crabs to eat. Oysters and barnacles can also be left attached to mangrove roots. This is an important component in keeping the water clean. This is what attracts many people into the community.
A mIgatingOption
Sometimes, however, it is impossible to keep mangroves intact. This is the case when the lot is unusually shaped. Marine engineers and builders often turn to the Little Pine Island Mitigation Bank. This 4,670-acre island is owned by the State of Florida, and is located within the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve. The island is a joint public-private partnership that provides credit to offset unavoidable impacts on wetlands in Lee and Collier counties, Charlotte, Sarasota, and Charlotte.
The mitigation bank project was established in 1997 to restore Little Pine Island’s wetlands, which had been decimated by mosquito ditches in 1960s. The mitigation credits helped to restore the island to its original condition. Little Pine Island, which was a huge success, is now part of The Great Calusa Blueway. This blueway is open to hikers, birders, and outdoor enthusiasts. The island’s ongoing maintenance is paid for by money earned from mitigation credits.
This is not the ideal solution. In a perfect world, the environment and development would never come into conflict. This is Florida’s real world, where local builders and property owners do their best to protect the environment. Wilson says that the majority of people in our community who use the mangrove permitting process care deeply. Some of them may not care as much, but the ones who do care are the best. And those who don’t share this mindset? They don’t stay in business for very long.
Mangroves The numbers
$7,100:According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), each acre of mangroves generates an economic value for fisheries and watchable wildlife.
$1.5 billion:According to a study by the Nature Conservancy, mangroves reduced property damage during Hurricane Irma.
25.5%:According to the collaborative report Valuing Florida’s Flood Risk Reduction Benefits, Collier County mangroves reduced the annual flood risk by 25% to the properties that they support,
Different types of mangroves
The red mangroveThis mangrove is the most common in our region. It is found near the brackish water edge, often bordering the canals kayakers and boaters use. It is easily recognized by its red prop-roots. These are the knotty, knob-kneed roots which appear at low tide.
Black mangrovesOn slightly higher ground than red mangogroves, you can get away from the water. They are distinguished by their pneumatophores, which are black finger-like projections that rise out of the soil around the tree trunk. They are known as dead man’s fingers by Florida old-timers.
White mangrovesThey are found at the highest elevations close to the coast. Red mangroves have their prop roots while black mangroves have their pneumatophores. White mangroves do not have identifiable aerial roots. The leaves are pale green-silver in color and have two glands at their bases that secrete excess salt.