Mangroves sacrifice growth to build up salt tolerance

The first major natural science project at the Australian National University's North Australia Research Unit (NARU) has produced important new information on the diversity and salinity responses of mangrove species. The project was designed to study the evolution and dynamics of mangrove and tidal systems including what these areas look like in detail and how they have been and are affected by changes in water chemistry, sedimentation and other physical factors. Dr John Chappell, a Professorial Fellow in the Department of Biogeography and Geomorphology at the Research School of Pacific Studies is the principal investigator. Dr Marilyn Ball has been studying the distribution and structural organisation of mangrove forests in Northern Australia within the framework provided by this research. This article contains an image of technical assistant Susan Allen and Dr Marilyn Ball; and two diagrams displaying ecological and physiological responses of three mangrove species to variation in salinity. PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to provide a public view of this newspaper article as the copyright is held by the publisher of ANU Reporter.. If you would like to obtain a copy of this newspaper article for research purposes, please ‘request a copy'. This article is part of the WISALTS (Whittington Interceptor Sustainable Agriculture Land Treatment Society Incorporated) Collection