As Sesarmid crab, one of the predators that inhabit the intertidal ecosystem and that eat vegetable matter including mangrove propagules. This additional technical issue that is required to be overcome has generated a range of very interesting protection devices. Photo courtesy of Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe traditional method of planting mangroves, in this case Rhizopehera sp. utilises seedlings that have been potted on in nurseries and then planted into the mudflats vertically and/or the propagules themselves are plunged vertically into the mud. This method helps to limit damage to the bottom parts of the propagules from being predated on by intertidal marine animals. The photo is of a mangrove rehabilitation site adjacent to our site in North Central Java.It is most likely that once dropped and influenced by the tides the propagules will lie horizontally, and when weighted the propagule will rise and fall with the tides, until the roots take hold , when it will form a “J” shape. Because the full length of the propagule, including the bottom is exposed to predators, methods have been investigated to protect the propagules from predation bty marine animals.
