Mangrove Forests in India

Mangrove forests are special types of dense forests that grow in coastal areas, river deltas, and muddy swamps where the ocean tide comes in.

• Unique Survival: These trees are extremely unique because they can survive in highly salty water (brackish water).
• Breathing Roots: The mud they grow in lacks oxygen. To survive, mangrove trees have special roots called pneumatophores that stick out above the water and mud to 'breathe' air directly.

India has some of the most extensive mangrove forests in the world.

1. The Sundarbans: Located in the massive Ganga-Brahmaputra delta in West Bengal, the Sundarbans is the largest continuous mangrove forest in the world. It is named after the 'Sundari' tree, which provides hard, durable timber. It is also the famous home of the Royal Bengal Tiger.
2. Other Locations: Mangroves are also found in the deltas of the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri rivers on the eastern coast, and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.