“Mangrove forests can be found on the saltwater coasts of more than 100 tropical and subtropical countries, totaling more than 140,000 square kilometers (54,000” square miles)“

(This will first provide evidence on how many mangroves there are, worldwide)

“They are also teeming with life: more than 1,500 plant and animal species depend on mangroves.”They are also teeming with life: more than 1,500 plant and animal species depend on mangroves.”

(This evidence will show the role of these mangroves in ecosystems and how they shelter a lot of biodiversity)

“Mangrove forests stabilize the coastline, reducing erosion from storm surges, currents, waves, and tides“

(More evidence on the ROLE of these mangroves in the ecosystem)

The greatest losses have occurred in Southeast Asia, which lost 2457 km (4.8%) of mangroves from 1996-2023”

(Last evidence, on how these mangroves have been dissapearing which goes after the all the benefits of the mangroves to show how those benefits can also dissapear) - effects of the mangroves dissapearing (briefly - will go into this in the Bp) THEN THESIS.

Briefly talk about the amount that mangrove forests are declining, then go into how that causes the loss of marine biodiversity. Then, provide an evidence/statistic on how many MARINE SPECIES depend on mangroves, and because of the decline of mangrove forests, provide evidence how much the marine species itself are declining. Last, the effects of the loss of marine biodiversity, like ecosystem instability)

“464 terrestrial vertebrate species reported to occur in mangrove forests: 320 mammals, 118 reptiles and 26 amphibians (including 22 subspecies; Table S1). This is a fivefold increase in the number of terrestrial vertebrate species previously reported to use mangroves (excluding birds),”

(This source proves the claim because it demonstrates FIRST that marine species are heavily dependent on mangrove forests by showing how many of these marine species live under these mangrove forests)

“disturbed mangrove area showed a loss of 20% of benthic biodiversity, with the local extinction of four Phyla (Cladocera, Kynorincha, Priapulida, Tanaidacea),”

This source proves the claim because it explains how much the species that depend on mangroves are threatened, showing how the marine species are heavily reliant of mangroves. Its shows how much of the marine species reduced as a result of the decline of mangroves, in a statistic to show how important the mangroves are to biodiversity

“One of those predictions was that ecosystems move through phases of varying stability based on the number of species in the community and the degree of interaction between species.”One of those predictions was that ecosystems move through phases of varying stability based on the number of species in the community and the degree of interaction between species.”

This source proves the claim by suggesting that the stability of ecosystems is directly related to the number of species (the loss of marine biodiversity) - the effects of the loss of marine biodiversity - from the decline in mangrove forests

Our model shows that the loss of species with key functional traits destabilizes the transfer of energy through the food web, resulting in lower resilience and reduced ecosystem productivity."

The source proves the claim by showing how the decline of mangrove forests which are important habitats for marine biodiversity, leads to ecosystem instability by disrupting energy transfer and productivity within the food web - elaborate more on that after the evidence too.

“Mangrove forests stabilize the coastline, reducing erosion from storm surges, currents, waves, and tides”. 98”

this source proves the claim by FIRST talking about the benefits that mangrove forests have and their ability to prevent coastal erosion

“Their intricate root systems trap sediment, keeping coastal waters clean and clear while securing and rebuilding eroded coastlines. “

“Not only do dense mangrove roots reduce the loss of sediment from waves, they also catch sediment over time, creating a thick mudbank that helps mangroves grow. This ancient mud accumulation and the trees themselves trap and block debris from crashing further inland. The webbed roots can break up the wave force even in severe storms, while the upper tree-limbs act as windbreakers.”

This source proves the claim and goes after the first one to elaborate more on HOW it helps prevent coastal erosion.