On the northern coast of Indonesia"s Sumba Island, a stand of mangrove trees appears to dip and sway to summon another dreamy sunrise. Walakiri Beach is gently sloped, so it"s easy for a visitor to walk out into the knee-deep water to examine the extraordinary transitional zone of a mangrove ecosystem. Mangroves thrive here at the boundary between land and sea, growing in coastal salt water and low-oxygen conditions where other trees would quickly die. Their complex root systems filter out the salt and form a strong natural defense against storm surges, rising sea levels, and coastal erosion. Mangroves also create aquatic nursery habitats that support a highly diverse range of juvenile fish and crustaceans.
The dancing trees of Sumba Island
Today in History
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Earth Day and National Park Week
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Giant kelp in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
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Where fire meets water
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Skyscraper Day
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International Tiger Day
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Grand Teton National Park
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Mid-Autumn Festival
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Drop in on International Surfing Day
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Feeling crabby?
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Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
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A history of Vinland
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Green is the new black
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La Rocque Harbour, Island of Jersey
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Ludwig’s palace
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Roman bridge of Córdoba, Spain
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Spring awakens
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Old Town Quito
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Beyond Walls for World Refugee Day
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Morocco in bloom
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In Texas, even the riverbend is big
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Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act marks 42 years
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Chapel on the rock
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Barcelona bids farewell to summer
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North Sea at sunset, Norddorf, Germany
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Autumn comes to Old Town
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Happy Independence Day!
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Cheetah mother and cub
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Vietnam’s new bridge deserves a big hand
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Last day of National Park Week