Mangrove species take up water and store it in aqueous tissues, releasing it gradually back to the atmosphere through transpiration processes. They Provide Habitat Mangrove species are the dominant organisms in a mangrove swamp, and provide a physical habitat for many other species of plants and animals that could not survive in the intertidal zone alone. All of these organisms rely on the mangroves for their homes. The mangroves are the basis of all the life that live in a mangrove swamp and are the basis of the food chain. Mangrove leaves, stems and branches fall into the water and are broken down into detritus by bacteria, fungi and microorganisms.
Filter feeders feed on the detritus and the detrital organisms.
These in turn become food for birds and humans. This is only a simple food chain present in the mangrove swamp, in truth the mangrove contains multiple, highly complex food chains, with many of the organisms dependant upon one another for their survival. Many marine species of fish that are important in both recreational and commercial fishing industries, spend a large proportion of their life cycle in the mangrove swamp. Once they have grown to a large enough size, they can venture out to the open sea. Mangroves are essential to maintain our fishing industries.