Impacts of Climate Change on Mangrove Ecosystems in the Coastal and Marine Environments of Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

Caribbean mangroves have declined by approximately 24% over the last quarter-century, largely as a result of different forms of coastal development, pollution and human exploitation.A review of the literature that considers mangroves in the context of climate change reveals it is often challenging to distinguish what is an observed climate related change occurring in the present versus what is a predicated change that may occur in the future, and some studies interchange the two. Sea level rise (which causes saline intrusion, coastal erosion and destruction of primary habitat) is currently the most immediate and well understood climate-related threat to mangroves in Caribbean SIDS. A growing number of studies are also demonstrating greater understanding of the impacts of hurricanes, and the ability of mangroves to recover from these extreme weather events.