A team member from the Environmental Management Branch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center works to remove a mangrove seedling deposited by tropical winds on the shoreline of KARS Park at Kennedy in this image from April 12, 2023. This spring, workers in the area replaced sand and finished an offshore wave break. The mangroves will be repotted and held in nearby surface water protected from wind, waves, and ongoing maintenance activities until they can be replanted along the shoreline later.
With its 140,000 acres located along the Atlantic coastline and within the Indian River Lagoon estuary, Kennedy has long taken measures to ensure its shorelines remain resilient. Mangroves are one of the greatest allies against erosion, as their root structure protects the shoreline in addition to providing a habitat for nesting and roosting birds and aquatic species.
Image Credit: NASA/Glenn Benson