Saving the mangroves and mangrove forest of Bonaire

LEARN, ENGAGE, ACT

Bonaire hosts the largest mangrove forest within all of the Dutch Caribbean. These forests provide immense biological, economical and cultural value to the island. The iconic mangroves of Bonaire are under threat due to over development and increased pressures of climate change. The Mangrove Maniacs are dedicated to protecting these areas through building resilience to ensure the mangroves are around for future generations to enjoy.

The importance of mangroves

Mangroves provide a wide variety of ecosystem services such as:

Improved Biodiversity
Improved Water Quality
Provide Coastal Defense against storms and beach erosion
Carbon Sequestration
Economic Value through tourism and fishing
Cultural Value

The Kingdom of the Netherlands has a legal obligation to provide periodic reporting on the status of these vital ecosystems and dependent species. To find out how the Mangrove Maniacs contribute to these reports, please click the button below.

Find out more

Our mission

Through research and monitoring we are able to provide real time feedback to conversationalists, governmental policy makers or any interested stakeholder to capture any changes in the well being of this critical habitat.

Our plan

By combining research, monitoring and physical labor, we are working to better understand these complex environments and help return the mangroves to their previous natural glory.

Our values

We believe cultivating a sense of ownership among residents and visitors alike will be key in protecting the mangroves into the future.

Volunteer

Research and Monitoring

Community Outreach

Maniacs in the spotlight

The Mangrove Maniacs have been fortunate enough to receive quite a bit of media attention over the last few years. From Taiwan to Germany, we’ve been making international headlines. We are always proud to show off all the hard work our volunteers and supporters have put into our projects.

See Media

Best 2.0+

July 2021 we were the proud recipient of the EU Best 2.0+ grant. This funding will support mangrove restoration efforts through February 2023. Click the button to learn more.

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What's new with the Maniacs?

Sentinel-2 imagery helps Bonaire identify influx of Sargassum

https://mangrovemaniacs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/sarfig1.png 784 301 Mangrove Maniacs Bonaire Mangrove Maniacs Bonaire https://mangrovemaniacs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/sarfig1.png 3 May 2021 27 September 2021

3 May 2021

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By Willy Tjiong and Sander Mücher An abnormal amount of Sargassum brown seaweed invaded the Caribbean islands in the summer of 2011 [1]. Masses of Sargassum mats piled up on beaches trapping sea turtles and releasing harmful hydrogen sulfide gas when it decays [2]. The rotting seaweed repels tourists and have led to temporarily closure…

Tropical Nursery Research during Lockdown

https://mangrovemaniacs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/mangroves1-1024x768.jpg 1024 768 Mangrove Maniacs Bonaire Mangrove Maniacs Bonaire https://mangrovemaniacs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/mangroves1-1024x768.jpg 14 April 2021 27 September 2021

14 April 2021

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Besides the obvious complications of coronavirus, the inability to travel to conduct research has led for the need for researchers to get creative over the past year. Typically, researchers are able to visit Bonaire, bringing international expertise right to the source. Unfortunately, travel restrictions have made this nearly impossible. This was the perfect opportunity for…

Go with the Flo

https://mangrovemaniacs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG_20190410_090712-768x1024.jpg 768 1024 Mangrove Maniacs Bonaire Mangrove Maniacs Bonaire https://mangrovemaniacs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG_20190410_090712-768x1024.jpg 7 April 2021 27 September 2021

7 April 2021

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Written by Flo Senger, 2021 I was always fascinated by the ocean and its coasts and when I was studying marine sciences the things about to discover seemed to be infinite. Back in 2019 I found a master´s project on investigating the carbon cycle in mangroves in the Dutch Caribbean I thought: That sounds interesting!…

SAVING THE MANGROVES
of BONAIRE