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The Mangrove Ecosystem

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Fungi in Coastal and Oceanic Marine Ecosystems

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Abstract

Mangroves are tropical and subtropical coastal vegetations and contribute an enormous amount of organic matter to the surrounding waters. Fungi densely colonize lignocellulosic mangrove detritus. Manglicolous fungi, of which about 200 species are known, are lignicolous fungi exclusive to decaying mangrove wood. Most of these belong to Ascomycota. A succession of species colonizes dead mangrove wood. Their diversity is regulated by the wood species, geographical location, salinity, and position in the intertidal region. Most mangrove lignicolous fungi produce a variety of lignocellulase enzymes and cause wood degradation. Mangrove leaves that fall into waters are immediately colonized by the oomycete belonging to species of Halophytophthora, as well as a number of thraustochytrids. This is followed by a mycosere. Decaying mangrove leaves undergo the typical leaching phase, a fungal degradation and biomass buildup phase, and a final fragmentation phase. Fungi alter the biochemical properties of mangrove leaf detritus, lower the C/N ratio, and make them more palatable to detritivores. Chytrids and labyrinthulomycetes are found in mangrove waters and sediments. Mycetaen fungi may occur in the anoxic mangrove sediments. Fungi are an important component of outwelled mangrove detritus.

If there are no mangroves, then the sea will have no meaning. It is like having a tree without roots, for the mangroves are the roots of the sea…

Words of a Thai fisher from the Andaman Coast

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  1. Formerly of CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Vainguinnim Valley, Dona Paula, Goa, India

    Seshagiri Raghukumar

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Raghukumar, S. (2017). The Mangrove Ecosystem. In: Fungi in Coastal and Oceanic Marine Ecosystems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54304-8_5

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