Mangrove Swamps

Mangrove swamps cover approximately half of Grand Cayman and Little Cayman but very little of Cayman Brac. While at first glance the swamp appears to be a homogenous green thicket, in fact three main types of mangrove can be distinguished: the fringing red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), with its characteristic prop roots; the black mangrove (Vicennia germinans), with its dark bark and finger-like root projections called pneumatophores; and the white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), with its pale trunk and preference for a drier location. Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus), an associated mangrove species identified by its gnarled trunk, is often encountered in swampy areas too.

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Mangrove areas perform essential ecological functions. They help to maintain the integrity of the freshwater lenses, upon which Cayman has traditionally relied for drinking water. They also buffer the land against the high winds and storm surges associated with Cayman's occasional tropical storms. Red mangroves often fringe shallow lagoons, where the prop roots offer protective habitat for schools of juvenile fish and lobster and support a tremendous variety of invertebrate life. As mangrove leaves decompose, they form the basis for a complex food-web on which many fishes depend. In addition to all these benefits our mangrove systems are also important habitat for a wide variety of birds.