GoKawiilStudy of 400 coastal sites links mangrove presence to wave exposure
Researchers analyzed 20 years of three-hourly wave data at 400 sites worldwide, split evenly between coastlines with and without mangroves, drawing on Global Mangrove Watch records and 2025 satellite imagery. The sites were chosen to represent mangroves' full latitudinal range while excluding locations shielded by dunes, reefs close enough to block wave models, or heavily developed shorelines. Wave conditions came from the EU Copernicus Marine Service's Global Ocean Waves Reanalysis dataset.