Mangroves support an estimated annual abundance of over 700 billion juvenile fish and invertebrates

Philine S. E. zu Ermgassen; Thomas A. Worthington; Jonathan R. Gair; Emma E. Garnett; Nibedita Mukherjee; Kate Longley-Wood; Ivan Nagelkerken; Kátya Abrantes; Octavio Aburto-Oropeza; Alejandro Acosta; Ana Rosa da Rocha Araujo; Ronald Baker; Adam Barnett; Christine M. Beitl; Rayna Benzeev; Justin Brookes; Gustavo A. Castellanos-Galindo; Ving Ching Chong; Rod M. Connolly; Marília Cunha-Lignon; Farid Dahdouh-Guebas; Karen Diele; Patrick G. Dwyer; Daniel A. Friess; Thomas Grove; M. Enamul Hoq; Chantal Huijbers; Neil Hutchinson; Andrew F. Johnson; Ross Johnson; Jon Knight; Uwe Krumme; Baraka Kuguru; Shing Yip Lee; Aaron Savio Lobo; Blandina R. Lugendo; Jan Olaf Meynecke; Cosmas Nzaka Munga; Andrew D. Olds; Cara L. Parrett; Borja G. Reguero; Patrik Rönnbäck; Anna Safryghin; Marcus Sheaves; Matthew D. Taylor; Jocemar Tomasino Mendonça; Nathan J. Waltham; Matthias Wolff; Mark D. Spalding

doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02229-w

Mangroves support an estimated annual abundance of over 700 billion juvenile fish and invertebrates

Philine S. E. zu Ermgassen^*, Thomas A. Worthington^*, Jonathan R. Gair, Emma E. Garnett, Nibedita Mukherjee, Kate Longley-Wood, Ivan Nagelkerken, Kátya Abrantes, Octavio Aburto-Oropeza, Alejandro Acosta, Ana Rosa da Rocha Araujo, Ronald Baker, Adam Barnett, Christine M. Beitl, Rayna Benzeev, Justin Brookes, Gustavo A. Castellanos-Galindo, Ving Ching Chong, Rod M. Connolly, Marília Cunha-LignonFarid Dahdouh-Guebas, Karen Diele, Patrick G. Dwyer, Daniel A. Friess, Thomas Grove, M. Enamul Hoq, Chantal Huijbers, Neil Hutchinson, Andrew F. Johnson, Ross Johnson, Jon Knight, Uwe Krumme, Baraka Kuguru, Shing Yip Lee, Aaron Savio Lobo, Blandina R. Lugendo, Jan Olaf Meynecke, Cosmas Nzaka Munga, Andrew D. Olds, Cara L. Parrett, Borja G. Reguero, Patrik Rönnbäck, Anna Safryghin, Marcus Sheaves, Matthew D. Taylor, Jocemar Tomasino Mendonça, Nathan J. Waltham, Matthias Wolff, Mark D. Spalding

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Mangroves are a critical habitat that provide a suite of ecosystem services and support livelihoods. Here we undertook a global analysis to model the density and abundance of 37 commercially important juvenile fish and juvenile and resident invertebrates that are known to extensively use mangroves, by fitting expert-identified drivers of density to fish and invertebrate density data from published field studies. The numerical model predicted high densities throughout parts of Southeast and South Asia, the northern coast of South America, the Red Sea, and the Caribbean and Central America. Application of our model globally estimates that mangroves support an annual abundance of over 700 billion juvenile fish and invertebrates. While abundance at the early life-history stage does not directly equate to potential economic or biomass gains, this estimate indicates the critical role of mangroves globally in supporting fish and fisheries, and further builds the case for their conservation and restoration.

Original language	English
Article number	299
Journal	Communications Earth and Environment
Volume	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02229-w
Publication status	Published - 17 Apr 2025

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Environmental Science
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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zu Ermgassen, P. S. E., Worthington, T. A., Gair, J. R., Garnett, E. E., Mukherjee, N., Longley-Wood, K., Nagelkerken, I., Abrantes, K., Aburto-Oropeza, O., Acosta, A., Araujo, A. R. D. R., Baker, R., Barnett, A., Beitl, C. M., Benzeev, R., Brookes, J., Castellanos-Galindo, G. A., Ching Chong, V., Connolly, R. M., ... Spalding, M. D. (2025). Mangroves support an estimated annual abundance of over 700 billion juvenile fish and invertebrates. Communications Earth and Environment, 6, Article 299. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02229-w

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title = "Mangroves support an estimated annual abundance of over 700 billion juvenile fish and invertebrates",

abstract = "Mangroves are a critical habitat that provide a suite of ecosystem services and support livelihoods. Here we undertook a global analysis to model the density and abundance of 37 commercially important juvenile fish and juvenile and resident invertebrates that are known to extensively use mangroves, by fitting expert-identified drivers of density to fish and invertebrate density data from published field studies. The numerical model predicted high densities throughout parts of Southeast and South Asia, the northern coast of South America, the Red Sea, and the Caribbean and Central America. Application of our model globally estimates that mangroves support an annual abundance of over 700 billion juvenile fish and invertebrates. While abundance at the early life-history stage does not directly equate to potential economic or biomass gains, this estimate indicates the critical role of mangroves globally in supporting fish and fisheries, and further builds the case for their conservation and restoration.",

author = "{zu Ermgassen}, {Philine S. E.} and Worthington, {Thomas A.} and Gair, {Jonathan R.} and Garnett, {Emma E.} and Nibedita Mukherjee and Kate Longley-Wood and Ivan Nagelkerken and K{\'a}tya Abrantes and Octavio Aburto-Oropeza and Alejandro Acosta and Araujo, {Ana Rosa da Rocha} and Ronald Baker and Adam Barnett and Beitl, {Christine M.} and Rayna Benzeev and Justin Brookes and Castellanos-Galindo, {Gustavo A.} and {Ching Chong}, Ving and Connolly, {Rod M.} and Mar{\'i}lia Cunha-Lignon and Farid Dahdouh-Guebas and Karen Diele and Dwyer, {Patrick G.} and Friess, {Daniel A.} and Thomas Grove and Hoq, {M. Enamul} and Chantal Huijbers and Neil Hutchinson and Johnson, {Andrew F.} and Ross Johnson and Jon Knight and Uwe Krumme and Baraka Kuguru and Lee, {Shing Yip} and Lobo, {Aaron Savio} and Lugendo, {Blandina R.} and Meynecke, {Jan Olaf} and Munga, {Cosmas Nzaka} and Olds, {Andrew D.} and Parrett, {Cara L.} and Reguero, {Borja G.} and Patrik R{\"o}nnb{\"a}ck and Anna Safryghin and Marcus Sheaves and Taylor, {Matthew D.} and Mendon{\c c}a, {Jocemar Tomasino} and Waltham, {Nathan J.} and Matthias Wolff and Spalding, {Mark D.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = apr,

day = "17",

doi = "10.1038/s43247-025-02229-w",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

journal = "Communications Earth and Environment",

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zu Ermgassen, PSE, Worthington, TA, Gair, JR, Garnett, EE, Mukherjee, N, Longley-Wood, K, Nagelkerken, I, Abrantes, K, Aburto-Oropeza, O, Acosta, A, Araujo, ARDR, Baker, R, Barnett, A, Beitl, CM, Benzeev, R, Brookes, J, Castellanos-Galindo, GA, Ching Chong, V, Connolly, RM, Cunha-Lignon, M, Dahdouh-Guebas, F, Diele, K, Dwyer, PG, Friess, DA, Grove, T, Hoq, ME, Huijbers, C, Hutchinson, N, Johnson, AF, Johnson, R, Knight, J, Krumme, U, Kuguru, B, Lee, SY, Lobo, AS, Lugendo, BR, Meynecke, JO, Munga, CN, Olds, AD, Parrett, CL, Reguero, BG, Rönnbäck, P, Safryghin, A, Sheaves, M, Taylor, MD, Mendonça, JT, Waltham, NJ, Wolff, M & Spalding, MD 2025, 'Mangroves support an estimated annual abundance of over 700 billion juvenile fish and invertebrates', Communications Earth and Environment, vol. 6, 299. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02229-w

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mangroves support an estimated annual abundance of over 700 billion juvenile fish and invertebrates

AU - zu Ermgassen, Philine S. E.

AU - Worthington, Thomas A.

AU - Gair, Jonathan R.

AU - Garnett, Emma E.

AU - Mukherjee, Nibedita

AU - Longley-Wood, Kate

AU - Nagelkerken, Ivan

AU - Abrantes, Kátya

AU - Aburto-Oropeza, Octavio

AU - Acosta, Alejandro

AU - Araujo, Ana Rosa da Rocha

AU - Baker, Ronald

AU - Barnett, Adam

AU - Beitl, Christine M.

AU - Benzeev, Rayna

AU - Brookes, Justin

AU - Castellanos-Galindo, Gustavo A.

AU - Ching Chong, Ving

AU - Connolly, Rod M.

AU - Cunha-Lignon, Marília

AU - Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid

AU - Diele, Karen

AU - Dwyer, Patrick G.

AU - Friess, Daniel A.

AU - Grove, Thomas

AU - Hoq, M. Enamul

AU - Huijbers, Chantal

AU - Hutchinson, Neil

AU - Johnson, Andrew F.

AU - Johnson, Ross

AU - Knight, Jon

AU - Krumme, Uwe

AU - Kuguru, Baraka

AU - Lee, Shing Yip

AU - Lobo, Aaron Savio

AU - Lugendo, Blandina R.

AU - Meynecke, Jan Olaf

AU - Munga, Cosmas Nzaka

AU - Olds, Andrew D.

AU - Parrett, Cara L.

AU - Reguero, Borja G.

AU - Rönnbäck, Patrik

AU - Safryghin, Anna

AU - Sheaves, Marcus

AU - Taylor, Matthew D.

AU - Mendonça, Jocemar Tomasino

AU - Waltham, Nathan J.

AU - Wolff, Matthias

AU - Spalding, Mark D.

PY - 2025/4/17

Y1 - 2025/4/17

N2 - Mangroves are a critical habitat that provide a suite of ecosystem services and support livelihoods. Here we undertook a global analysis to model the density and abundance of 37 commercially important juvenile fish and juvenile and resident invertebrates that are known to extensively use mangroves, by fitting expert-identified drivers of density to fish and invertebrate density data from published field studies. The numerical model predicted high densities throughout parts of Southeast and South Asia, the northern coast of South America, the Red Sea, and the Caribbean and Central America. Application of our model globally estimates that mangroves support an annual abundance of over 700 billion juvenile fish and invertebrates. While abundance at the early life-history stage does not directly equate to potential economic or biomass gains, this estimate indicates the critical role of mangroves globally in supporting fish and fisheries, and further builds the case for their conservation and restoration.

AB - Mangroves are a critical habitat that provide a suite of ecosystem services and support livelihoods. Here we undertook a global analysis to model the density and abundance of 37 commercially important juvenile fish and juvenile and resident invertebrates that are known to extensively use mangroves, by fitting expert-identified drivers of density to fish and invertebrate density data from published field studies. The numerical model predicted high densities throughout parts of Southeast and South Asia, the northern coast of South America, the Red Sea, and the Caribbean and Central America. Application of our model globally estimates that mangroves support an annual abundance of over 700 billion juvenile fish and invertebrates. While abundance at the early life-history stage does not directly equate to potential economic or biomass gains, this estimate indicates the critical role of mangroves globally in supporting fish and fisheries, and further builds the case for their conservation and restoration.

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U2 - 10.1038/s43247-025-02229-w

DO - 10.1038/s43247-025-02229-w

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105003384586

SN - 2662-4435

VL - 6

JO - Communications Earth and Environment

JF - Communications Earth and Environment

M1 - 299

ER -

Mangroves support an estimated annual abundance of over 700 billion juvenile fish and invertebrates

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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