A mangrove looks calm from a distance. Step closer, and you find a living maze of roots and shadows holding an entire coastline together.
Every twisted root has a job. Some breathe, some hold the soil, some shelter tiny lives. Together they create a world that works on rhythm, not rules.
Mud, salt, heat, rising tides. Mangroves face it all and still stand steady. Their natural filters keep out salt and help them thrive where others cannot.
India holds about 4,700 sq km of mangroves. Andhra Pradesh has nearly 600 sq km, including Coringa’s vast stretches that anchor the Godavari delta.
Inside these tangled forests, over 3,100 species find food and safety. From the shy fishing cat to young fish and crabs, everyone grows up among the roots.
When cyclones roar in from the Bay of Bengal, mangroves absorb the force. Villages sheltered by them often report far less damage than those without.
Every tide brings fresh sediment. The roots trap it, enrich it, and build the soil that nearby farms depend on for their harvests.
Mangroves store carbon in their leaves and soil for thousands of years. They can hold nearly four times more carbon than even rainforests.
Shrimp ponds, construction, and land clearing are pushing mangroves back. When the trees fall, the stored carbon escapes straight into the air.
The Godavari delta holds 320 sq km of these forests. Coringa stands at the heart of this landscape, home to sixteen true mangrove species.
Villagers here track encroachments, speak up to officials, and protect the forests that protect them. Their commitment keeps these trees standing.
Untreated water from aquaculture ponds can harm marine life instantly. The Polavaram Dam on the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh may also affect the salinity and sediments that mangroves rely on.
Researchers, forest teams, and communities continue to document, restore, and spread awareness. Their work brings steady hope to a fragile ecosystem.
Mangroves grow differently. Their seeds sprout on the tree itself, fall as long propagules, and travel on tides until they root in soft mud.
This story is part of a content series by The Better India and Roundglass Sustain.
Read full story here.