Along the margins of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, two great atmospheric forces are converging — El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole — and the ecosystems caught between them are among the most consequential on Earth. Mangrove forests, which shelter coastlines, feed fisheries, store carbon, and sustain the livelihoods of millions across Asia and the Pacific, are being pushed toward thresholds their biology was not built to survive. The Maldives lost a quarter of its mangrove islands to a single IOD event just five years ago; now, with both systems strengthening simultaneously, the question is
El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole threaten mangrove ecosystems across Asia-Pacific
Mangrove dieback threatens food security, livelihoods, and cultural traditions for millions of people across Asia and the Pacific who depend on these coastal ecosystems.