Your guide to managing mangroves in Tauranga Harbour.
Mangroves play an important role in the ecology of the Tauranga Harbour, they provide a buffer against coastal erosion and storm surge and are a nursery ground for species such as short finned eel and yellow eyed mullet.
They're also home to many native insects, birds, shellfish, snails, crabs and algae. However, too many mangroves can create problems in the harbour.
Changing land use has caused more sediment and nutrients to enter the harbour.
These extra nutrients have caused more mangroves to grow to the point where they are taking over large areas of the open tidal flats, especially in the sub-estuaries (i.e Te Puna, Waikareao and Waimapu estuaries).
