CN Discovery of the mangrove

In Science, the 6th and 7th graders worked on the wetland and mangrove swamps. The study of local fauna and flora is part of their school program. The mangrove is a very particular ecosystem of tropical regions, characterized by halophytic (salt loving) trees which can withstand very high salinity water. There are several types of trees in mangroves: gray, black, white or red mangroves. Three kinds of mangroves are distinguishable: the seaside mangrove, the shrubby mangrove and the high mangrove. The red mangrove tree has the particularity of having aerial roots, so it can sink its roots into a few decimeters of salt water. Nearly a hundred species of crustaceans and fish evolve in this environment as well as crabs and birds. This tropical ecosystem is very fragile and is threatened by human activities. Before going to the mangrove in the city of Port-Louis, the students went to the crab house. It is a place of breeding and information on the different species. It also explains how crab became a culinary specialty traditionally cooked for Easter. The students had to take picture during the day out and when they returned to class, they had to produce and present a poster using Canva application.