A recent deep-dive biodiversity survey in Cambodia identified hundreds of unique species swimming, flying, crawling and prowling within one of mainland Southeast Asia’s largest mangrove forests. The abundance of animals within the Kingdom’s Pream Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary and Koh Kapik Ramsar site ranged from endangered otters and rare cats to migratory birds and unique bats. The report by Fauna & Flora and the Fishing Cat Ecological Enterprise identified more than 700 unique species, spanning several taxonomic groups, with camera traps and rapid biodiversity surveys. “Often, mangroves are seen as a swampy, dirty place. But this report shows that they are teeming with life,” said Stefanie Rog, co-author of the report. “Mangroves are a vibrant connection between different species that live in this harsh environment. It is a fascinating world of wonder that deserves to be protected.” Mangrove forests form interweaved strips of dense, wooded semi-submerged land on coasts across Southeast Asia. Pream Krasop and Koh Kapik’s extensive range, remote access, coastal tides and variety of microhabitats make this particular forest especially habitable, explained Vanessa Herranz Muñoz, who led several of the surveys and co-authored the report. The ecosystem serves as both a marine and terrestrial habitat. This, Herranz Muñoz says, makes “it tricky when it comes to studying its biodiversity or even protecting it” because environmental laws and management “quite often makes a split between the land and the sea.” While highlighting the mangrove’s abundance of life, the study also paints a sobering picture of what the mangrove forest has…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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