We have been collecting Mud from many types of mangrove stands during the last 8 years. The mud from many different Mangrove sites is populated with organisms that add to the genetic bank. We have been using Mud Filters for over 30 years, and we have collected many organisms that bring MUD to LIFE!

Sally Jo and Eddie have finally started to produce flowering Mangroves here in Idaho. Eddie has been growing his trees in fresh water for the last 4 years, and they are thriving! Sally Jo's trees have been in an aragocrete rock for over 5 years, and they are now old enough to produce seeds.

Mangroves are fun to grow and the mud they grow in produces many filter species. I now use Mangroves to filter the water in my 300 gallon Acropora reef.

We are currently collecting as many filter organisms as possible to use to inoculate Mud filters with life. This approach goes back to our firm believe in the DIVERSITY = STABILITY rule of Biology and Economics.

A teaspoon of mud from an Australian mangrove stand contains more than 10 billion bacteria. These densities are among the highest to be found in marine mud anywhere in the world and are an indication of the immensely high productivity of this coastal forest habitat. We have added new mud collections from two parts of Mexico, Hawaii, and Florida. Each of these collections have added to the population of filter organisms in our systems.

Mangrove roots act not only as support and physical traps but provide attachment surfaces for various marine organisms. Sponges are very common in these areas. Many of these attached organisms filter water through their bodies and, in turn, trap and cycle nutrients.

This Mangrove is probably the most well-known. It typically grows along the water's edge. The red mangrove is easily identified by its tangled, reddish roots called "prop roots." These roots have earned mangroves the title, "walking trees." The mangrove appears to be standing or walking on the surface of the water.

Members of the Rhizophoraceae family (Rhizophora, Bruguiera and Ceriops species have an intriguing method for successfully reproducing themselves. The fertilised seeds do not drop from the plants but begin to germinate, growing out from the base of the fruits to form long spear-shaped stems and roots, called propagules. They may grow in place, attached to the parent tree, for one to three years, reaching lengths of up to one metre, before breaking off from the fruit and falling into the water.

The production of live seedlings (known as vivipary) is very rare in plants other than mangroves and a few seagrass species and the reason for it is unclear. It is possible that the well-developed seedling has a greater chance of surviving, once it has taken root, in a situation where it is likely to be battered by water-bourne objects.

This Red Mangrove is growning many complex roots in the filter substrate. The water quality is higher than when Tim used large skimmers. The sps coral growth is very good. The polyp extention is better than before.

FUTURE RESEARCH Numerous medicines are derived from mangroves. Skin disorders and sores, including leprosy, may be treated with ashes or bark infusions of certain species. Headaches, rheumatism, snakebites, boils, ulcers, diarrhoea, haemorrhages...and many more conditions are traditionally treated with mangrove plants.

It was an odd seeing the giant shrimp boats lying over on their side in the mud because earlier they had been floating in 20 ft. of water. I had chosen this location for collecting mud because I had noticed a thick layer of fine silt as the tide started to go out earlier. I had supposed that the silt and mud would be particularly rich in this location because they had been cleaning fish and shrimp and dumping the remains in this man made harbor for fifty years.

I had put on a brand new pair of tight socks and I double-checked to make sure I had strapped my reef shoes on extra tight before I started wading into the thick sticky mud.

My destination that rainy night was the place just below the fishing pier that I had seen earlier. I was certain that the mud would be particularly rich right there because on this moonless night the tide was at its lowest and I hope that mud would be exposed that would be underwater over three hundred and sixty nights a year.

With my goal in mind at I didn't mind trudging through the 1 ft. thick sticky mud until I happened to turn around to make sure I could still see the Jeep. I was startled and somewhat unnerved by the sight that I saw. Trailing back behind me and getting lighter as they headed toward the shore were my footprints glowing in the dark with phosphorescent algae and bacteria. That was not particularly upsetting until I looked at my legs and noticed that the mud looked like fluorescent glowing green blood dripping onto my now black socks.

It was 03:00 in the morning now it was really raining. I was cold, and I decided that this was the perfect place to collect mud and head back for the Jeep as fast as possible.

Watch for PART#2 - Hot Springs Mud Hunt