New international scientific collaboration has started in Italy for the study and protection of the mangroves of the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates. The task force for the protection of these fragile ecosystems sees the University of Milan-Bicocca and the Genoa Aquarium at the forefront.
The project coordinated by Paolo Galli, professor of ecology, aims to study mangrove ecosystems in a multidisciplinary way. Mangroves provide habitat for numerous marine and terrestrial species, protect the coasts from erosion, and play a key role in mitigating the damage caused by hurricanes. By absorbing large quantities of carbon from the atmosphere, they contribute to the fight against climate change. To date, scientific knowledge of these ecosystems is extremely scarce and fragmented and risks disappearing within a few decades due to infrastructural development, plastic pollution, and land conversion. In nature, we will try to identify the Maldivian islands that hold the last unexplored mangroves so that protection actions can be taken. Particular attention will be paid to the presence of micro and nano plastics, thanks to the collaboration with the Maldives National University.