Mangrove Forests serves as a link between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. A nutrient entering the estuaries as detritus (natural decomposition products from the mangroves) becomes the food of microscopic organisms. They are the first’s steps in the fish food chain.

Mangrove forests constitute a very important service of timber, pulpwood and firewood and provide a variety of non-wood forest products, such as thatching materials. Native Cadman huts, tannin, fruits and foods for domestic livestock are constructed from wood from mangroves is also used as ‘fuel, for extraction of ‘tannin’ known to increase the durability of sails and fishing nets. Mangrove leaves are used also as indigenous medicine for certain types of ailments. However, harvests of mangrove products have remain within sustainable limits.

Mangroves play a vital role in coastal protection creating a buffer against the sea and. preventing the soil wash off by trapping soil between its aerial root system thus shaping and building the shore. Their unique root system also reduces salutation in estuaries and sea grass beds by trapping the sediment.

Mangroves act as filters of pollutant from fresh water run off and could be considered wastewater treatment systems. They also play an imminent role in trapping and stabilizing sediment.

Mangroves sustain both inshore and off shore fisheries. Not only are mangroves and the adjacent mud flats extremely rich in invertebrates, providing major services of food for man and animals such as fishes, birds, crabs, shrimps, oysters and clams, but they also constitute vital breeding and nursery grounds for many in shore and marine fish and shrimp species.