Developing an Effective Mangrove Rehabilitation Technique

Overall Project Aim & Strategic Value The goal of this research is to move beyond conventional mangrove planting by developing and validating a next-generation large-scale rehabilitation technique focused on cost-optimisation. Strategic Objectives 1. Validate Technique Efficacy: to track the long-term survival, vegetative and reproductive growth rates of transplanted native mangrove wildlings across three key species (Laguncularia racemosa, Avicennia germinans, and Rhizophora mangle). 2. Quantify Cost-Effectiveness: to compare the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) of the new wildling transplant technique against current mangrove restoration techniques. 3. Replication: to create a standardised, low-cost operational manual for adoption by researchers, government agencies and NGOs. Snapshot of the Methodology This initiative introduces a next-generation technique to dramatically reduce operational expenditure while maximising ecological success. Supplementing naturally acclimated wildlings that are robust and already reproductive considerably contributes towards closing the canopy, a critical factor in any restoration project. This strategic advantage accelerates natural propagule establishment and recruitment, ensuring the ecosystem becomes self-sustaining faster and requires less long-term intervention. The experimental plot at the Graeme Hall Site will track the performance of 25 transplanted wildlings against 15 control individuals (a 40-individual study) over the project duration, ensuring results are based on robust, comparative data.