This is sad for the trees and all the animals that used the roots and branches for homes and food, but it also means that the coast is not protected anymore. Can you guess what happens next?
Without the mangroves on the coast, without any protection or netting, the land begins to fall into the sea and be taken away by the waves. When we lose the mangroves, we lose land for people to live, and we also weaken the beaches and other ecosystems nearby. Chetumal noticed this problem and has stopped allowing construction near the coast. The city has also made the mangrove forests a protected ecosystem, which means that no one can harm the trees without getting into trouble. The mangroves are very important to everyone and everything living in Chetumal, and hopefully we can keep them happy and healhy. Can you think of other ways we might be able to protect the mangroves?
