Animals as Allies in Mangrove Restoration

To celebrate International Mangrove Day, the GLOW project brought together researchers, practitioners, and community leaders from around the world to share cutting-edge insights on mangrove science, restoration, and policy.

This blog series highlights key moments from the event — featuring short video clips and reflections from our speakers. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing highlights from these inspiring talks — showcasing cutting-edge research, innovative technologies, and stories of resilience from across the world’s mangrove ecosystems.

In this feature, Dr Michael Sievers from the Global Wetlands Project shares research revealing that animals are far more than passive inhabitants of restored ecosystems — they are key drivers of restoration success. Using AI-powered monitoring in Queensland, Australia, his team found that restored mangrove sites supported fish abundances comparable to natural reference systems, even within the early stages of recovery.

These findings challenge traditional approaches to habitat restoration and highlight the need to design projects that intentionally integrate animal life. By combining animal-centred restoration with AI-enhanced monitoring, we can rebuild not only habitat structure but also the biodiversity that sustains it.

🎥 Watch Dr Sievers’ talk here to learn how technology and ecology can work hand in hand to accelerate coastal ecosystem recovery.