The removal of large areas of mangroves for industrial purposes can significantly alter these precious coastal ecosystems. This can have a broader effect on the community, threatening vital clean water sources, tourist industries and the food supplies on which we rely. In addition to this, the root system of a mangrove forest serves to stabilize the coastline, providing protection from storm surges. Being a small archipelago made up of 17,000 islands, Indonesia is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels or intense tropical storms linked to Global Warming. 
          
            Year: 2010
            From album: The Critical role of Oceans in Maintaining our Climate
            
              Photographer:
              Lawrence Hislop
            
            
              Tags:
                
                  plants
                
                  swamp