Dolphin Tales: Mangrove recovery
As I cruise through Matlacha Pass on my back bay and sunset tours, as well as Pine Island Sound on my dolphin and nature tours, it is heartbreaking to see the damage Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton have brought to our mangrove islands. It looks more like fall in my home state of the upper peninsula of Michigan than summer in Southwest Florida. My family has been in Matlacha since 1978 and I’ve never seen anything like this on the water. It seems mangroves have always thrived.
Mangroves are essential in stabilizing our local coastlines. Not to mention they are a vital home to birds and other wildlife. The vitality of our ecosystem relies heavily on healthy mangroves.
Mangroves are important to people and the ecosystem of Southwest Florida because they help reduce erosion by absorbing storm surge impacts, thus providing a natural infrastructure to protect nearby populated areas. But extreme weather events have left our mangroves in distress.
It has been over 2 years since Hurricane Ian and almost a year since Hurricane Milton. Our mangroves are showing slow signs of recovery, but full restoration is an ongoing process and is very complex.
Areas that are shallow are more likely to sprout new growth because the rainwater helps to dilute the saltwater concentration. Our heavy rains in the last few weeks may cause unwanted flooding, but are beneficial to the regrowth of our mangrove forests.
In my community of Matlacha, I have witnessed the removal of dead vegetation which makes way for new growth. This is happening throughout Southwest Florida. Organizations like the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Found-ation and Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife are engaged in planting mangrove trees but restoration efforts are expensive and labor intensive.
Studies show that water flow and elevation are crucial for mangrove recovery. The impact of both Ian and Milton has been significant. Full recovery could take 10-15 years and that is if we do not get another major storm surge. Thankfully, mangroves possess a remarkable capacity to recover!
In retrospect, Hurricane Milton was the most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded over the Gulf of Mexico, tying with Hurricane Rita in 2005. Hurricane Ian was worse in terms of overall damage and impact. Ian was a Cat 4 when it made landfall. Milton was a Cat 3 when it made landfall.
Captain Cathy Eagle has spent over 45 years boating on our local waters. As a professional charter captain, she specializes in dolphin and nature tours. Visit CaptainCathy.com or call /text 239 994-2572. Welcome aboard!