Editing Mangrove (section)

===Increasing survival of offspring===
[[File:One week old Mangarove, Qatif, Saudi Arabia, Late August 2020 2 (cropped).jpg|thumb|A germinating ''Avicennia'' seed]]
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2021}}
In this harsh environment, mangroves have evolved a special mechanism to help their offspring survive. Mangrove [[seed]]s are buoyant and are therefore suited to water dispersal. Unlike most plants, whose seeds germinate in soil, many mangroves (e.g. [[Rhizophora mangle|red mangrove]]) are [[Vivipary|viviparous]],<ref>{{Citation |last=Hogarth |first=P. J. |title=Mangrove Ecosystems☆ |date=2017-01-01 |work=Reference Module in Life Sciences |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128096338022093 |access-date=2024-03-01 |publisher=Elsevier |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-809633-8.02209-3 |isbn=978-0-12-809633-8}}</ref> meaning their seeds germinate while still attached to the parent tree. Once germinated, the seedling grows either within the fruit (e.g. ''[[Aegialitis]]'', ''[[Avicennia]]'' and ''[[Aegiceras]]''), or out through the fruit (e.g. ''[[Rhizophora]]'', ''[[Ceriops]]'', ''[[Bruguiera]]'' and ''[[Nypa (genus)|Nypa]]'') to form a [[propagule]] (a ready-to-go seedling) which can produce its own food via [[photosynthesis]].

The mature propagule then drops into the water, which can transport it great distances. Propagules can survive desiccation and remain dormant for over a year before arriving in a suitable environment. Once a propagule is ready to root, its density changes so that the elongated shape now floats vertically rather than horizontally. In this position, it is more likely to lodge in the mud and root. If it does not root, it can alter its density and drift again in search of more favorable conditions.