What's After Work?

 More on the mangroves.  I've been trying to spot some of the many mangrove seeds I've seen floating around taking root. I thought I had found some the other day and figured I would keep an eye on them. There were a bunch of seeds stuck in the oysters growing on the ricrac lining the causeway. As you can see in the picture they are mostly pointing up with the leaf end up. Well today they were all gone, washed away. But I did find one that seems to have taken root in a hole in one of the rocks. I'm going to keep checking on it and see how it does. 

The route that I normally ride is home to many wild growing mangroves. While there  are 4 different kind of mangroves the predominate type are the red and black mangroves. These two are interesting because their seeds are known as propagules. Propagule seeds start to sprout while they are still attached to the mother plant. This is an adaptation that gives them a head start because they will be dropping into a harsh intertidal area to begin their life.  Mangroves produce a lot of seeds and I can see hundreds of them washed up on the shore when I ride. I even see them growing from between the rocks of the riprap lining the edge of the causeway.  In the picture above there are a bunch of red mangroves that someone sprouted and planted out on the causeway. I have several red mangroves growing at home that I brought back after a bike ride out on the causeway. Yesterday I found some black mangrove seeds that I'm going to try and grow too.  While I was out riding today I a...

I was out today on the Courtney Campbell Causeway for a ride today and noticed something new. Just past the beach on the Clearwater side I found a big planting of mangroves down near the beach. There must have been a hundred little mangroves planted in neat rows.  Some of them had washed out of where they had been planted with the time. Next time I ride I'll bring a small shovel to replant them.