Rising sea levels could wipe out mangroves by 2050

Mangrove forests aren’t moving fast enough to escape rising sea levels and could disappear by 2050, according to new research. That’s because these forests won’t be able to keep up with rising sea levels if greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated. The trees play a vital role in storing planet-heating carbon dioxide and protecting communities from storms and coastal erosion.

Mangrove forests will be in danger of dying out when sea levels rise by more than 6 millimeters per year, the study published in the journal Science found. That threshold could be reached in as little as 30 years, scientists say, if people don’t cut their greenhouse gas emissions. Sea levels are already rising globally at a rate of more than 3 millimeters a year —...

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