Mangroves and coral reefs can be cost-effective in reducing coastal flooding and the gains outweigh the costs of restoring them, say researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. They found mangrove restoration opportunities in 20 countries and territories, with Cuba, the US, and the Bahamas having the most. The Caribbean, particularly Cuba and Jamaica, offer the greatest opportunities for restoring reefs. Lead author Michael Beck says disaster recovery expenditures worldwide are more than 100 times the amount spent on conservation. Mangroves provide habitat for fish and are a natural buffer for coastal communities, but as it is often hard to get funding for their restoration, demonstrating the good return on investment can be key, he says.

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