More mangroves growing in Northeast Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mangroves are a common sight in South Florida, and will sometimes spread as far north as the coast of Northeast Florida in parts of Nassau, Duval and especially St. Johns County.

Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh joined park rangers to take a look at the spread of mangroves into the local area. 

While not uncommon,  the difference now is that the spread of the mangrove trees may continue essentially uninterrupted because of fewer severe freezes — a possible product of climate change. 

That alone is not a bad thing. Mangroves can decrease storm surge, increase elevation and make for great habitat for marine life.

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The potential problem is mangroves are not freeze tolerant.  

If mangroves become dominant, the marsh grasses will diminish, so when the next big freeze occurs (temperatures in the 20s for at least a few hours), a die-off of the mangroves would leave nothing to protect the marshes. 

If that occurs, the marshes and nearby coastal areas will become more susceptible to erosion, sea-level rise and storm surge from tropical systems and nor’easters.

Time will tell, but current estimates are that mangrove trees could dominate parts of our coastline within 15-25 years, barring a significant stretch of below-freezing temperatures.

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