A new international scientific collaboration is being launched to study and save the mangrove forests of the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates - unique ecosystems that provide vital habitat for many marine and terrestrial species, protect coastlines from erosion, play a key role in mitigating hurricane damage, and help combat climate change by absorbing large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere.
To date, scientific knowledge of these fragile ecosystems is extremely scarce and fragmented, and they are at risk of disappearing within a few decades due to infrastructure development, plastic pollution and land conversion.
The University of Milano-Bicocca, the Aquarium of Genoa, the National University of the Maldives and the University of Dubai have joined forces to protect and preserve this fragile natural heritage, which is known to very few people.
The project, coordinated by Prof. Paolo Galli of the University of Milano-Bicocca, aims to study mangroves using a multidisciplinary approach.