[2] Additionally, mangroves play a vital role in climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration and protection from coastal erosion, sea level rise, and storm surges.

[7] In most of these regions mangroves provide many services including; shelter, climate regulation through carbon sequestration,[7] decrease coastal erosion, create a link between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and maintain water quality along the coast.

They are used by mammals, reptiles and migratory birds as feeding and breeding grounds, and provide crucial habitats for fish and crustacean species of commercial importance.

[11] The Atlantic goliath grouper for instance, which is currently listed as critically endangered due to overfishing, utilizes mangroves as a nursery for the first 5–6 years of life.

This allows sediments to drop to the bottom where they are held in place, thus containing potentially toxic waste products and improving the quality of water and sanitation in coastal communities.

On a global scale, they have been shown to sequester carbon in quantities comparable to higher-canopy terrestrial rainforests, which means that they may play a role in climate change mitigation.

[15] Mangrove forests have a potential to mitigate climate change, such as through the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere directly, and by providing protection from storms, which are expected to become more intense and frequent into the 21st century.

The issue of restoration is critical today since mangrove forests are being lost very quickly – at an even faster rate than tropical rainforests inland.

[24] Much of this lost mangrove area was destroyed to make room for industry, housing and tourism development; for aquaculture, primarily shrimp farms; and for agriculture, such as rice paddies, livestock pasture and salt production.

Mangrove habitat loss leaves coastal communities vulnerable to the risks of flooding, shoreline erosion, saline intrusion, and increased storm activity.

[28] Mangroves are sensitive ecosystems, changing dynamically in response to storms, sediment blockage, and fluctuations in sea level  and present a "moving target" for restoration efforts.

Mangrove survival is dependent on many factors including soil salinity, sedimentation, groundwater availability, and tidal changes which can vary greatly in small areas.

More informed methods aim to bring a damaged mangrove area back into its preexisting condition, taking into account not only ecosystem factors but also social, cultural and political perspectives.

These approaches begin with the understanding that a damaged mangrove area may be able to repair itself through the natural processes of secondary succession, without being physically planted, provided that its tidal and freshwater hydrology is functioning normally and there is an adequate supply of seedlings.

If natural renewal does occur, Twilley et al. 1996 predicts species composition will be largely determined by the very earliest saplings to colonize the recovering stand.

According to Irina Fedorenko and Susan Graham of BioCarbon Engineering, a drone can do an amount of work in days that is equivalent to weeks of planting by humans using traditional methods, at a fraction of the cost.

[34] An important but often overlooked aspect of mangrove restoration efforts is the role that the local communities play as stakeholders in the process and the outcome.

Not only can locals provide knowledge about the environment, their participation through employment and funding strategies will encourage them to keep maintaining the mangroves after initial success of the project.

[36] This study found that participation in mangrove restoration improves livelihoods and increases social capital, which directly benefits their access to information and services.

[39][40] The REDD+ mechanism, as part of the REDD program, provides financial support to stakeholders in developing countries to avoid deforestation and forest degradation.

[42] An examples of REDD+ implementation can be seen in Thailand, where carbon markets give farmers incentive to conserve mangrove forests, by compensating for the opportunity cost of shrimp farming.