Mangrove Mapping of Estuaries Using Remote Sensing

Mangrove are highly adapted to the coastal environment, with exposed breathing roots, extensive support roots and buttresses, saltexcreting leaves, and viviparous water dispersed propagules. The word ¿mangrove¿ is a compound word of the Portuguese word ¿mangue¿ and the English word ¿grove¿. Mangroves are geographically distributed between latitudes 32O N and 38 O S along the tropical coast of Africa, Australia, Asia and America. Mangrove forest performs multiple ecological and economical functions. Mangrove produce woody tree, provide habitat and detritus as food for fish and shellfish. It acts as spawning ground for a variety of fishes, shellfishes and harbours a variety of valuable fauna including birds. It also protects the coast from tidal waves as well as natural calamities and help in controlling erosion by trapping sediment brought by a river run off.