Environmental Sustainability and Health

M angroves are salt-tolerant shrub or tree that grows mainly on coastal inter tidal wetlands and  estuaries.  Mangroves are one of the world’s dominant coastal ecosystems. Nigeria has the largest mangrove forest in Africa, which spread across the southern part of the country, from Badagry in the southwestern part of Nigeria to Calabar. Major parts of the mangroves in Nigeria are found in the Niger Delta region of the country, mainly in Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa states. The word mangrove not only refers to the plant but also, the ecosystem were these plants thrive is referred to as mangrove ecosystem. There are over seventy different species of mangrove all over the world, in Nigeria three major types of mangrove are mainly found in the country which are commonly referred to as Red, White and Black mangrove. Although other species of mangrove are available in the country, the red white an black mangrove are more prevalent with the red mangrove dominating major parts of Nigeria's man