The tons of leaves that fall from each acre of mangrove forest every year are the basis of an incredibly productive food web. As the leaves decay, they provide nutrients for invertebrates and algae. These in turn feed many small organisms, such as birds, sponges, worms, anemones, jellyfish, shrimp, and young fishes. Tides also circulate nutrients among mudflats, estuaries, and coral reefs, thus feeding species like oysters that rest on the seabed. Theyprotect both the saltwater and the freshwater ecosystems they straddle. The mangroves' complex root systems filter nitrates and phosphates that rivers and streams carry to the sea. They also keep seawater from encroaching on inland waterways. The roots collect the silt and sediment that tides carry in and rivers carry out towards the sea. By holding the soil in place, the trees stabilize shorelines against erosion. Seedlings that take root on sandbars help stabilize the sandbars over time and may eventually create small islands.

The thickets of mangroves that buttress tidal mudflats also provide a buffer zone that protects the land from wind and wave damage. Places where mangroves have been cut down for shrimp farms are far more vulnerable to destructive cyclones and tidal waves.hTese forests provide many of the resources upon which coastal people depend for their survival and livelihood. At low tide, people can walk across the tidal flats to collect clams, shellfish, and shrimp. At high tide, fish move in to feed among the protection of mangrove roots, turning the marshy land into rich fishing grounds. The mangrove trees themselves provide fuel, medicines, tannins, and wood for building houses and boats . Visit sine-saloum and enjoy nature's beauty.