This afternoon, we planted the mangroves.

We had to wait until it was low tide which was between 2 and 6.  We went out at about 3:00 and took all the supplies to the planting area.  We did have to cross a small area of water in order to get to the mangrove planting site.

Once we got all the mangroves and the supplies to the planting site, we had to work quickly to beat the tide and the rain.  We grouped the mangroves into threes and lined them up so that they could be easily recorded.  Holes were dug into the muddy ground, which was actually somewhat hard because of all the rocks that were embedded in the mud.  After the holes were dug deep enough, some topsoil, (more like top mud) was deposited into the bottom of the hole.  The mangroves were then planted and the hole was filled in.  The groups of mangroves were tied to a bamboo pole to help keep them in place.

It did not take long to plant all the mangroves, and it was fun to get muddy and messy, but we were not done yet, we still had to measure and count the leaves on each mangrove planted and record it so that the growing process could be monitored.  When we were finally done, we were all caked in mud and had dirt and mud under out nails for a few days. The mangroves are a very important part of the marine ecosystem as they provide food, shelter,and a safe place for juvenile marine life.