Bahamas • Environment
Mangrove nurseries give young conservationists hands-on work on Andros
Students collect propagules, raise seedlings and replant shorelines that protect fish nurseries and soften storm surge.
On Andros, secondary school students are learning coastal science by raising mangrove seedlings in simple nurseries and replanting them along exposed shorelines.
From propagule to planting
Students collect mature propagules, grow them in recycled containers and track their height each week. Seedlings are replanted once their roots are strong enough to hold in the tide.
Why mangroves matter
- Roots shelter juvenile fish and shellfish.
- Dense stands reduce wave energy during storms.
- Mangrove soils store large amounts of carbon.
Learning by doing
Teachers say the nurseries turn classroom lessons into visible results. Each planting day ends with a survey of earlier sites so students can see which seedlings have taken hold.
