Mangroves are forested wetlands that inhabit the intertidalzone of tropical and subtropical estuaries. It has beensuggested that these wetlands provide both food and habitat for a diverse fishery, and that the yields of some commerciallyimportant species are dependent on the area of this vegetation along the coastline. These forests may also serve as either a nutrient source or sink, and influence the fate of sediments in estuarine ecosystems.