Replanted mangrove trees at Pengudang, Teluk Sebong, Bintan Regency. Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
Found along the coasts in tropical and sub-tropical areas, mangroves are intertidal forests home to over 1,500 plants and animals. These ecosystems hold a rich diversity of trees and animal life, particularly in Southeast Asia where one-third of the world’s mangroves are growing. For thousands of years, mangroves have also supported the livelihoods of at least 120 million people around the world, providing food, medicine, physical protection and more. Some coastal communities who have built homes and lived alongside mangrove forests for generations also hold complex spiritual relationships and deep knowledge of these spaces that have been passed down through generations.
A wide variety of animals can also be found in the mangroves. Oysters attach themselves to tree roots through secreting a special kind of bio-glue, forming oyster reefs that help filter murky water. Crustaceans, such as crabs, create tunnels through the mangrove soil to hide from predators, behaviours that help to oxygenate the soil. This abundance of marine life also attracts a variety of birds, such as kingfishers, herons, and other migratory birds. In the soil, micro-organisms, known as the mycorrhizal fungi, also form structures into the roots of some mangrove trees, helping the trees to better take up nutrients.
Mudskippers on the mangrove mudflats in Pulau Ubin, Singapore. March 2025. Courtesy of Lucas Koh.
Crab caught in mangroves by Mak Eha, a fisher from Pengudang Village, Teluk Sebong, Bintan. Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
White-rumped shama spotted on a tree branch in Pulau Ubin, Singapore. April 2025. Courtesy of Lucas Koh.
Kijing, a type of freshwater clam, caught by Pak Awalludin, a fisher from Pengudang, Teluk Sebong, Bintan Regency. Courtesy of Rossman Ithmain.
Trees that grow in the mangroves face unique conditions: flooding up to two times a day, soil low in oxygen, salty water, and in some locations, serious disturbances such as floods and tsunamis. They have developed interesting adaptations in response: special roots that breathe out of water when the water comes in, leaves that exude excess salt, and saplings, also called propagules, that germinate on the parent tree first, before being released into the soil, therefore increasing their chances of survival.
Stilt roots of bakau hitam (Rhizophora mucronata) trees in Pengudang, Teluk Sebong, Bintan Regency. Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
Cone-shaped roots of the perepet (Sonneratia alba) in Pengudang, Teluk Sebong, Bintan Regency. Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
Bent knee roots of the tumu (Bruguiera gymnorhiza) in Pengudang, Teluk Sebong, Bintan Regency. Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
Straw-like roots of the bakau api-api (Avicennia lanata) tree in Pengudang, Teluk Sebong, Bintan Regency. These aerial roots are thinner in comparison to S. alba, Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
Some mangrove trees develop propagules which are young seedlings that grow on the parent tree before detaching. These are propagules of tumu (Bruguiera gymnorhiza) next to mangrove river in Pengudang, Teluk Sebong, Bintan Regency. Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
Propagules of bakau hitam (Rhizophora sp.) trees at Pengudang Mangrove Nursery, Teluk Sebong, Bintan Regency. Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
Propagules of different mangrove trees look different, having different shapes and sizes, at Pengudang Mangrove Nursery, Teluk Sebong, Bintan Regency. Left: tumu (Bruguiera gymnorhiza) propagule. Right: Bakau hitam (Rhizophora mucronata) propagule. Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
Not all mangrove trees develop long propagules that grow on the parent plant. An example is the perepet (Sonneratia alba) which develops propagules that look more like typical fruits. Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
There are 82 identified mangrove tree species in the world. Influenced by many factors such as the height of the ground, soil conditions, and tidal flooding, different species of mangrove trees are observed to grow in different zones, depending on the conditions they grow well in.
There are a few simple ways to learn the names of common mangrove trees. One is through the unique architecture of their root systems which helps them to adapt to the intertidal conditions of the mangroves. The other way is through the shape and colour of their propagules, young saplings that grow first on the mother tree before being carried by the tides to other locations.
The following lists down a few of these trees, and the many names they are known by. The names listed are based on information provided by Iwan Winarto from his conversations with older people he knows. He is also one of the contributors from Bintan Regency, Indonesia, for this repository.
Nipah palm in mangrove river channel in Pengudang, Teluk Sebong, Bintan. Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
Nipah, Nypa fruticans
This is the only palm tree that grows in the mangrove forest. It is one of the oldest species of palms, with fossil records tracing its presence back to 65 to 70 million years ago.
In the Orang Suku Laut community in Kawal, Bintan, this palm holds spiritual significance as a medium through which the living connect with their ancestors.
Perepet on the shoreline of Pengudang Beach, Teluk Sebong, Bintan, next to another mangrove tree known as the bakau api-api (Avicennia sp.). Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
Perepet, Sonneratia alba
This tree can grow up to 30 metres in height when mature.
With protruding roots that enable it to breathe during periods of the day when the tides are high, on closer look, their roots are cone-shaped and thicker in size. It has round, green fruits that can be blended into a unique juice.
Young bakau hitam trees planted along a mangrove river in Pengudang, Teluk Sebong, Bintan. Courtesy NTU CCA Singapore.
Bakau hitam, Rhizophora mucronata
This is a common mangrove species in Bintan and Singapore. It can grow up to 15 metres tall at some sites. The stilt roots help the tree to stabilize well on shifting soil, enabling it to grow in both the seaward and middle zones.
The young shoots of the bakau hitam can be eaten. The bark can also be used as a source of natural dyes. This is the main tree species grown at the mangrove nursery of Pengudang Village and planted by the Orang Laut community in Kawal.
Tumu tree on a muddy riverbank in Pengudang, Teluk Sebong, Bintan. Courtesy NTU CCA Singapore.
Tumu, Lindur, Bruguiera gymnorhiza
The tree can grow up to 30 metres in some places, though smaller individuals are found.
The roots resemble bent knees; they emerge out of the ground, twist at a joint, before entering the soil again. The propagules of a close relative of this tree may be processed into flour and made into traditional kuehs, a broad term for flour-based desserts in Southeast Asia.
[Image] Mangrove Trees Identification Guidesheet by Dr JWH Wong
[Video] Mangrove dan Sejuta Manfaatnya
[Book] Panduan Pengenalan Mangrove di Indonesia
1. United Nations Environment Programme. 2023. Decades of mangrove forest change: what does it mean for nature, people and the climate? UNEP, Nairobi. https://wedocs.unep.org/rest/api/core/bitstreams/a3752f43-79e6-48ba-a911-3f39a26013cc/content.
2. Jia, Mingming, et al. “Mapping Global Distribution of Mangrove Forests at 10-m Resolution.” Science Bulletin [Netherlands], vol. 68, no. 12, June 2023, pp. 1306–16, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2023.05.004.
3. The State of the World’s Mangroves 2024. July 2024, www.mangrovealliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SOWM-2024-HR.pdf, https://doi.org/10.5479/10088/119867.
