IUCN SSC Mangrove Specialist Group

The IUCN SSC Mangrove Specialist Group, aims to support mangrove research and conservation projects by bringing together experts in the field to share their knowledge. Hosted by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the group aims to; assess the conservation status of mangroves; identify, quantify and prioritise threats; and develop plans to conserve the most threatened species and habitats.

** Windsurfers Unite to Fight Mangrove Habitat Loss **

Competitors at this year's Windsurf World Cup will not only be competing for trophies but will also be contributing to mangrove restoration in Burma. As part of the Blue Life Initiative, the event will be planting 1 mangrove tree in the Thor Heyerdahl Climate Park per kilometre surfed by EACH of the competitors. That could lead to 7,000 trees being planted. The water sports community are a vital stakeholder in the fight against the degradation of the marine environment - they spend a significant portion of their lives either in, on or under the waves. 

A short video on the initiative can be found below:

https://youtu.be/pCEE3MpfytE

**Annual Mangrove Symposium of the IUCN-SCC Mangrove Specialist Group **

The MSG meeting following the mangrove symposium at Bremen was attended by 14 MSG members as well as Olivier Hasinger and Dorothy Herr from IUCN. Heather Koldewey and Olivier participated via internet video link. Dom Wodehouse was also invited to contribute to our discussion on mangrove restoration related to the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) - the main topic of the meeting. Dorothy gave an informative introduction to the GMA, and members expressed views on how the MSG could contribute to this initiative, mainly as advisors for scientific matters. 

The discussion then focussed on the renewal process and tasks (e.g. Red List workshop) for the 2017-20 new quadriennium, potential locations for future symposia, and special issues for scientific papers presented at the Bremen meeting. 

D. Wodehouse

IUCN MSG Group Photo Bremen

IMPORTANT DATES 2018/2019

Below you will find a snapshot of this month's important dates for anything mangrove related. The full calendar is available in the useful documents section.