Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature
Posted by Dave Collins  on February 25, 2015, 10:07 pm
The recent opening of the mouth of La Manzanilla mangrove is a theme that interests me... mainly in terms of the ecological ramifications.
Like most things there are two sides of the coin. And you can bet coin has to do with the opening of it! It was not open simply in order to augment the ecology of the mangrove and our beautiful Tenacatita bay. Of that we can be sure.
I would bet that the decision has to do with two main factors:
1. There is a pending project to build a bridge over the mouth of the mangrove. I don´t know when the start date for the project is, but the high water levels due to the significant late rains are a potential hindrance to the project´s commencement .
2. The coconut plantations that border the mangrove have been flooded for quite some time due to the high water.
But on to those ecological ramifications...
In purely ecological terms (I´m going to stay away from the socio-political) I view the potential pros as the following:
1. The mangrove exports nutrients to the bay. Tropical waters like the ones that surround us, are known to be nutrient poor environments. Coral reefs, mollusks, crustaceans and a number of other marine organisms benefit from this export of nutrients as they are able to filter them up and grow from that infiltration.
2. There has been an exchange of fish and other marine organisms: those that mainly inhabit the mangrove and those that mainly inhabit the bay. This is a potential boon to the fisheries of Tenacatita Bay and beyond. Some fish like snook, mullet and pargo can only exist if there are in tact mangroves nearby because that´s where they reproduce. Now more of these "mangrove fish" are swimming around in the bay.
The potential cons:
1. If there is sewage effluent that has seeped into the mangrove I would prefer to see it stay in there instead of polluting the bay because over time it gets filtered through the mangrove plants. Red mangrove in particular are know to be some of the best biological filters around—they thrive on the nutrients found in effluent. And though the majority of the La Manzanilla mangrove contains white mangrove, it does contain red as well.
2. A lot of that contained food supply of fish, shrimp, etc. just went into the ocean where it is no longer easily available as food for the abundant crocodile population. Now, perhaps, they will have to go into the ocean sooner than they normally would have had to in order to find food.
3. The dry season is upon us and the shallower parts of the mangrove toward the highway are the parts that dry up soonest forcing all aquatic life into the deeper parts of the mangrove. In 2002, the driest year of the 2000-07 drought cycle, about 75% of the mangrove dried up and many crocs died. Probably little chance of that happening again, but what if we´re entering another drought cycle…? Then a lot of valuable stored water was just lost to the ecosystem at a critical time.
What is irrefutable at the end of the day: we humans have had an effect on the ecosystem, and it on us...
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------------------------Re: Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature
Posted by Dorinda on February 25, 2015, 10:14 pm, in reply to "Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature"
201.138.181.134|
Thanks, Dave, for a straight forward evaluation of the pros and cons in addition to valuable information. So refreshing.
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------------------------Re: Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature
Posted by Lyn on February 25, 2015, 10:43 pm, in reply to "Re: Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature"
187.210.230.10
Davison,
I agree with some of what you say, but with a somewhat different perspective.
First, the mangroves and crocs were there way before the berm bridge. It'd probably be more ecologically sound to just leave the whole thing alone
But, a lot of people live down the mangrove road and use it regularly. For the past 3 weeks it has been impassable to any thing but a high clearance vehicle or a wader. Road was passable by mid afternoon, with people bikes and delivery vehicles traveling.
And there are many small agricultural patches between the high way and the mangroves , core, papayas, grasses. Not so much pineapples, and no huge tracts of anything.
Building an actual bridge might actually improve the situation, as the water would be able to follow its more natural patterns, there would be a normal seasonal flow instead of a huge out flush.
Normally it would flush its self after the heavy rains a few weeks ago, at a more moderate rate.
The affluence smelled like rotting mangroves, not like sewage.
Not trying to be argumentative, would love more of your take.
Lyn
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------------------------Re: Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature
Posted by Tim Edwards on February 25, 2015, 10:37 pm, in reply to "Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature"
76.234.72.204
There is another factor at play....... since there has been no bridge or culverts providing passage for the road, the earth road that is installed each year, or in the case of this year, several times, raised the level of the mangrove more than it does, say at Boca where there is not a "dam" erected to abnormally raise the level of the water. If there is a bridge, then the rains we have had this past season would have opened the mangrove sooner and more often and at lower water levels (more natural) and would also not have cut such a deep exit gash. This would have then filled back in sooner and provided a more natural ebb and flow of the water between these two ecosystems.
Additionally, this added road, which is a dirt, rock and gravel mixture gets washed out into the ocean and builds up at the mouth of the cut much more so than happens at Boca.
Everything is connected to everything.
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------------------------Re: Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature
Posted by Lisa Fern on February 25, 2015, 11:03 pm, in reply to "Re: Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature"
201.133.152.79
So glad this conversation has started!
Great to get some solid info and opinions on managing this precious and productive ecosystem which is the heart of La Manzanilla.
Lisa
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------------------------Re: Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature
Posted by Mary Jo on February 25, 2015, 11:52 pm, in reply to "Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature"
201.138.176.252|
Thanks Dave for looking at pros and cons. We may never know why things are done here, but I do know this had a great big impact on tourism! Our guests left early because of the smell. The 2 restaurants on either side of the clean-out were looking closed. Maybe the decision makers could atleast warn people that this was going to happen and when, so we could prepare a little better. Life goes on in LaManzanilla and other villages like us. Hopefully we can learn what the best courses of action are to be?!
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------------------------Re: Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature
Posted by Vicki and Robin on February 26, 2015, 12:28 am, in reply to "Re: Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature"
187.148.186.195
Just a point of information. Quinta Valentina is closed on Wednesdays. Hence the empty look from there. They are the large palapa restaurant south of the mangrove lagoon.
Vicki
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------------------------Re: Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature
Posted by Mayama on February 26, 2015, 4:15 pm, in reply to "Re: Opening the Mouth of the Mangrove--Playing with Mother Nature"
187.148.187.155|
Thanks to Davison for the factual, clear information. Thanks to the earth for giving us such diversity and beauty.
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