TTL_BOOK_v8 30.07.25 - Flipbook - Page 73
N°22
FOREST MEETS REEF
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
“Along the shores of a mangrove forest near Gam Island in Raja Ampat,
a tropical coral reef rises up from the depths, growing right up to the
roots of the mangrove trees. A truly unique environment where trees
and corals coexist.”
Brooke Pyke
BEYOND THE FRAME
Australian photojournalist Brooke Pyke captured this shot in Gam Island,
Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Brooke describes the experience of swimming
between healthy coral reefs and mangroves as “almost otherworldly.”
While the beauty of the place was overwhelming and the photograph
looks serene, she recalls the risk involved with swimming in an area that
saltwater crocodiles are known to frequent.
Both mangrove forests and coral reefs are crucial to the
health and balance of ocean ecosystems. Mangroves
are tropical trees that thrive in salt water and can help
mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon from the
atmosphere and storing it in their roots and branches, and
in the soil around them. They also have thick, strong roots
which help protect coastal communities from storms and
erosion, and serve as habitat for many marine species –
from 昀椀sh to crocodiles.
Coral reefs are also biodiversity hotspots. They cover
less than 1% of the sea昀氀oor and yet at least 25% of all
marine species can be found in, on, or around coral reefs
– the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem on the planet.
Sometimes referred to as the rainforests of the sea, coral
reefs are deeply connected to the health of our ocean.
73
