Mangroves

Hinchinbrook’s waterways are fringed by one of Australia’s largest and most diverse mangrove forests with over 31 different species. Hinchinbrook’s diversity of coastal settings means that a mixture of both wet tropical mangrove species and species more typical of dry tropics climates are common. These mangrove forests also mark the southern limits of distribution for a number of species such as the ‘Upriver OrangeMangrove’ Bruguiera sexangula and the ‘Mangrove Palm’ Nypa fruticans. The extensive mangrove forests perform crucial roles as nurseries for fish, natural shoreline protection barriers and as one of the most important sites of carbon capture.