This article was written by Anna Carolina Braz, Communications Coordinator of Guardioes do Mar.

A comprehensive portrait of Brazilian mangroves has been published in Science of the Total Environment. The research shows how microorganisms, biotechnology, and digital monitoring tools, combined with the knowledge of traditional communities, are driving innovative strategies for conserving these ecosystems, which are essential in combating climate change.

Brazil is home to large areas of mangrove coverage, second only to Indonesia, establishing itself as one of the main guardians of this ecosystem. Although 87% of these areas are legally protected, only 40% have effective management plans. Meanwhile, uncontrolled urbanization, shrimp farming expansion, and sewage and oil pollution remain serious threats to the integrity of these environments.

“Although Brazilian mangroves are not degrading as rapidly as other ecosystems in other regions, they remain under strong human pressure. They are not rubbish dumps but essential ecosystems for marine biodiversity and the livelihood of thousands of people who live from coastal economies. Many mangroves already show fragmentation, highlighting the urgency of continuous protection and recuperation,” warns João Amaral, the study’s first author and a PhD candidate in Plant Biotechnology and Bioprocesses at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

(Operational team conducting quality monitoring of the planting)

In this context, conservation technologies are emerging as allies. Microbial biotechnologies, comparable to probiotics used to restore the human intestinal flora, are being applied to stimulate mangrove plant growth. These invisible microorganisms help trees grow stronger, increase forest resistance to diseases and extreme events, and accelerate the degradation of pollutants such as sewage, oil, heavy metals, and plastics.

The paper also highlights the use of omics technologies, including genomics and metagenomics, which can decode the hidden genes of plants to identify key microorganisms for their survival. “This kind of mapping helps predict how ecosystems will respond to climate change and guides more precise conservation strategies. Real-time monitoring sensors and digital platforms also provide valuable data for effective public policies and long-term restoration projects.” says Luiz Gomes, co-author of the study and a Blue Carbon specialist at OceanPact.

Luiz Gomes emphasizes that “the mangrove carries concrete opportunities for innovation from the treetops to the mud” by noting that nanotechnologies have already been developed from tannin extracted from mangrove bark and leaves.

“This study integrates legal aspects, conservation status, restoration practices, ecosystem services, and biotechnological potential. It is a milestone that strengthens public policies and points the way toward environmental biotechnology,” says Sylvia Alqueres, co-author of the study and a blue business innovation specialist at OceanPact.

(Inspection of the restoration area after brush cutting activity)

Blue Carbon

Recognized as true blue carbon ecosystems, mangroves store the largest amounts of carbon and play a crucial role in combating global warming. They also function as natural barriers against extreme weather events and ensure the livelihood of thousands of coastal families, with deep cultural significance for these communities.

“Carbon and biodiversity markets are emerging as a promising opportunity to finance large-scale restoration projects, provided that reliable methods are developed to measure and certify the results,” highlights Professor Andrew Macrae, author and researcher at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

Science and community side by side

One of the study’s greatest distinctions is showing that mangrove restoration depends not only on cutting-edge science but also on the traditional knowledge of coastal communities. In Brazil, fishermen, local government and non-governmental organizations (NGO), universities and corporate research centers working together to conserve and restore these vital ecosystems.

Despite their resilience, mangroves do not recover on their own at the necessary pace. Therefore, one of the most effective strategies is the active planting of seedlings, which accelerates the regeneration of degraded areas.

Guanabara Bay, one of Brazil’s most important bays, is an emblematic example. After losing much of its original mangrove cover to uncontrolled urbanization, it became, in 1984, home to Brazil’s first Environmental Protection Area (APA) for mangroves: the Guapimirim APA. Since then, the region has become a symbol of the fight to conserve this ecosystem.

(Operational team carrying out seedling planting activity)

It is in this region that the NGO Guardiões do Mar, a national reference in mangrove restoration, developed the Sou do Mangue project. The Guardiões do Mar have restored 43 hectares of mangroves. Between 2020 and 2023, the initiative exceeded its initial goal, planting more than 126,000 seedlings with a survival rate of 91%. Beyond the recovered forest, the project left a legacy: a restoration practices manual now used as a scientific reference.

The guide identifies three decisive factors for successful restoration: understanding the terrain and water dynamics, respecting local species, and ensuring continuous monitoring of seedlings. Added to this is the vital role of traditional communities, whose social transplanting techniques not only strengthen the process but also turn restoration into an opportunity for income, cultural appreciation, and even community-based tourism.

(Technical and operational teams in the field)

Roots of Tomorrow

Alaildo Malafaia, a fisherman, now President of the Manguezal Fluminense Cooperative, illustrates how science and traditional knowledge complement each other. With over three decades of experience in Guanabara Bay, he learned that seedlings taken from beneath the mother plant survived better than nursery-grown ones, an empirical insight that now guides restoration practices. “Carbon credits is an academic invention to name something nature already does. When I was a fisherman, I lived off natural resources. Now I work to ensure their survival,” he summarizes.

(Fisherman Alaildo Malafaia)

Now, researchers and Guardiões do Mar are preparing for a new phase with the launch of MangueLab, a project led by OceanPact in partnership with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). The initiative combines the NGO’s established social technology of mangrove transplanting with the innovative use of beneficial microorganisms developed in the laboratory. The goal is to increase restoration success rates and enhance carbon capture. By 2027, the organization aims to restore 12 hectares of mangroves in a quilombola territory located in Magé, in the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region.

Restoring mangroves does not only mean saving biodiversity. It also ensures global benefits: mitigating the climate crisis, generating new economic opportunities, strengthening food security, and valuing traditional cultures.

With support from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), the Brazilian experience is emerging as a global reference, showing how science and communities, side by side, can plant the roots of a sustainable tomorrow. As an official partner of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the NGO Guardiões do Mar is part of this global regeneration movement, aligning its initiatives with Sustainable Development Goals such as Climate Action, Life Below Water and on Land, Sustainable Cities, and Partnerships for the Future.

Image credits: Rodrigo Campanario – Guardiões do Mar

References: 

Amaral, J. R. V., et al. (2025). Brazilian mangroves: Status, threats, restoration, and prospects for blue carbon conservation. Science of the Total Environment, 1001, 180517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180517 

Rodrigues, G. de A. (2024). Health, Safety and Environmental Practices (HSE) in a mangrove forest restoration project in Guanabara Bay - RJ. In Approaches to Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (pp. 50–74). Brazilian Journals Publications. https://doi.org/10.35587/brj.ed.978-65-6016-045-3_4