Sarasota Bay’s Mangroves: A Critical Natural Asset

Sarasota Bay has lost most of its coastal wetlands to dredge and fill operations and coastal development. Coastal development has installed over 200 miles of hardened shoreline in place of mangrove and wetlands. The remaining wetlands and mature mangrove forests in Sarasota Bay are essential to the functioning of our bay ecosystem. Additionally, the natural resources within the area play a key role in the popularity and growth of the region.

Wetlands and mangrove forests are some of the most productive and important habitats for the preservation of water quality and wildlife that support our working waterfronts, fisheries, and our tourism-based economy. They also protect our communities by preventing erosion and reducing flood risk from storms. Our remaining wetlands and mangroves are rapidly being impacted by the hardening of infrastructure in the uplands that alter the natural flow and timing of fresh water moving from the landward side through the wetlands, which provide water filtration, and channelizing it into an unnatural rush of freshwater that bypasses wetlands through stormwater pipes.

Studies show that bay health depends on the quantity, quality, and timing of freshwater inputs (Olsen et al., 2006). From the seaward side, mangroves are drowned due to higher water levels. Without access to fresh water and space to migrate upslope and inland, Sarasota Bay's mangroves will become trapped or ‘squeezed out’ between higher coastal water levels and hardened shorelines. Protecting both existing mangrove forests and adjacent uplands is essential to maintaining water quality, fisheries habitat, wildlife populations, and natural storm protection for future generations. [myfwc.com], [coastalsci...e.noaa.gov], [coastalsci...e.noaa.gov]

Infographics Credits:

• Valuing the Flood Risk Reduction Benefits of Florida’s Mangroves, from articles and reports published by UC Santa Cruz, RMS, and The Nature Conservancy
• Sarasota Bay Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan, Land Use Change by Acres and Percent for Sarasota Bay Proper Watershed Source: Jones Edmunds and ESA, 2025a; SWFWMD.
• Coastal Change Analysis Program, Regional Land Cover 1996 to 2016, Source: NOAA Office for Coastal Management.
• NOAA Fisheries Economics is an annual report that highlights the contributions of U.S. marine fisheries to our national economy.

Mangrove Facts: Local Loss & Stewardship:

• Loss of mangroves ultimately transfers costs to residents and local governments through greater flood damages, increased shoreline stabilization expenses, reduced fisheries productivity, degraded water quality, and diminished recreational and tourism value. Florida studies have shown that mangroves provide billions of dollars in ecosystem services and storm protection benefits annually. [floridadep.gov], [nature.org], [news.ucsc.edu]

• As Sarasota and Manatee Counties continue to experience population growth, increased coastal flooding, and stronger storms, preserving undeveloped uplands adjacent to mangroves where they can migrate and thrive will become increasingly important for sustaining the natural resilience of Sarasota Bay. [coastalsci...e.noaa.gov], [everglades...espace.com]

• Tidal wetlands and mangroves are part of the ‘coastal corridor’ connecting the uplands to the bay. Hardened shorelines disconnect Sarasota Bay from adjacent wetlands and uplands, reducing the natural transition zones needed for mangrove expansion, wildlife habitat, and floodwater storage. [coastalsci...e.noaa.gov], [coastalsci...e.noaa.gov], [Florida's Coastal Corridor - Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida]

• Mangrove and wetland shorelines in Sarasota Bay have been replaced with over 220 miles of hardened shorelines [sarasotabay.org] that have eliminated critical nursery habitat for juvenile fish, shrimp, crabs, and other organisms that support Sarasota Bay's recreational and commercial fisheries. [myfwc.com], [sarasotabay.org]

• The loss of mangrove habitat reduces populations of wading birds, shorebirds, and other wildlife that depend on mangrove islands and shorelines for nesting, roosting, and feeding. [sarasotabay.org], [floridadep.gov]

• Shoreline hardening removes natural filtration functions that help trap sediments, absorb nutrients, and remove pollutants before they reach Sarasota Bay, potentially contributing to reduced water clarity and increased risk of harmful algal blooms. [myfwc.com], [sarasotabay.org]

• When natural mangrove shorelines are trimmed excessively or replaced with hardened structures, communities lose a cost-effective form of natural infrastructure that reduces erosion, storm surge impacts, and coastal flooding. Additionally, excessively trimmed mangroves lose productivity, longevity, and habitat value. When these habitats are healthy, they provide flood protection benefits to our communities and will help us recover more quickly after storms. [coastalsci...e.noaa.gov], [coastalsci...e.noaa.gov]

• Hydrologic alterations associated with roads, berms, drainage projects, and urban development can restrict tidal exchange and water movement, increasing the risk of long-term mangrove stress and mortality ("mangrove heart attacks"). [sccf.org], [chnep.wate...as.usf.edu]

• Mangrove forests are a crucial habitat for most fish species at various stages in their life cycle, in addition to providing shelter and nesting sites for waterfowl. Protection and restoration of mangrove forests and tidal wetlands meet Natural Systems Protection and Restoration objectives in the Southwest Water Management District Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan: Identify opportunities for habitat restoration projects that increase ecosystem resiliency across the waterbody.

• Over 31 percent of Florida is wetlands. Ninety percent of those wetlands are freshwater (over 18,500 square miles); only 10 percent are saltwater marshes and mangroves (approximately 2,000 square miles). NOAA’s land cover program, which uses satellite imagery to document coastal land cover changes, noted a 19% increase in development in Florida from 1996-2016, resulting in an approximate 12% net loss of tidal wetland habitat.

• Over 31 percent of Florida is wetlands. Ninety percent of those wetlands are freshwater (over 18,500 square miles); only 10 percent are saltwater marshes and mangroves (approximately 2,000 square miles). NOAA’s land cover program, which uses satellite imagery to document coastal land cover changes, noted a 19% increase in development in Florida from 1996-2016, resulting in an approximate 12% net loss of tidal wetland habitat.

• Wetland habitats support a diversity of fish and wildlife that drive the economies of our coastal communities. Recreational fishing is an industry that creates an enormous economic impact in Florida each year. In 2025, the Florida recreational fishing industry supported 120,000 jobs and generated $9.2 billion in total sales (FFWC, 2025)

• The partnership of counties, municipalities, and agencies that comprise the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program has identified the protection, enhancement, and restoration of coastal wetlands and improved shoreline resiliency as a priority in our collective Management Plan. This plan is a science-based, community-driven strategic blueprint to advance progress in protecting and restoring the water quality and ecological integrity of Sarasota Bay to the benefit of our communities and economies. [SBEP-CCMP-2022-Update.pdf]