Sweet Salinity

By: Jorge Rodríguez & Michelle Soto

For the ancient Maya, mangroves were more than just the boundary between land and sea. From mangroves, they obtained food, wood and salt. The peaceful channels functioned as commercial routes connecting different regions of Mesoamerica. Even stingless bees held a special place in that world: the Madrid Codex documents beekeeping practices, and the god Ah Muzen Cab was revered as the protector of honey and its keepers.

More than a thousand years later, Central American mangrove forests continue to be a source of life and livelihood for thousands of coastal families. But unlike their ancestors, today’s inhabitants face threats such as climate change, agricultural expansion, pollution and unplanned coastal development. Fishing is no longer enough to provide for the communities, which has led bees to regain a leading role that had long been forgotten. Honey production has become a venture that proves that conserving mangroves can also support sustainable livelihoods.

Mangrove Coverage in Central America

Regional Total: 494.624

Mangroves represent approximately 2% of the forest cover -- just under 1.2 million acres -- in Central America. While that percentage might seem small, each acre of mangrove captures up to four times more carbon than an acre of tropical rainforest.

But this ecological importance has not been enough to protect them. For decades, Central American mangroves have lost ground to agricultural expansion, coastal development, pollution and climate change. In countries like Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica, sugarcane farming has reduced mangrove coverage and disrupted hydrological connectivity by diverting rivers. In other areas, cutting trees for firewood and charcoal continues to degrade these ecosystems.

Climate change adds another threat. In the Costa Rican Pacific, the rising water temperature affects the survival of red mangrove seedlings, or propagules. In different areas of the isthmus, more intense rains carry debris and sediment that alter the dynamics of these mangrove forests. Furthermore, ghost nets, fires and other pressures force people to rethink the way they coexist with the mangrove.

Roughly 90% of the world's mangroves are located in developing countries, where environmental pressures from human activity advance rapidly and without control. However, in recent years, a culture of restoration has become part of coastal communities. The presence of different projects driven by international cooperation and, in some cases, government support, have introduced a variety of techniques aimed at restoring mangrove health. Nevertheless, in most communities, restoration is voluntary.

The next challenge is to transform this effort into sustainable livelihoods for the communities. Honey production is an innovative alternative with many possibilities. In Costa Rica, a community-based project known as ApiMangle demonstrated how hydrological restoration accelerated the return of native flora, populating the landscape with mangrove trees that today feed hives raised over the water. Chemical analyses reveal a unique honey, with 30% mangrove pollen and a high concentration of minerals due to the brackish nectar.

Mangrove Restoration in Central America

Mangrove restoration in Central America has evolved from isolated "tree-planting" efforts to a highly complex, community-driven scientific discipline.

While mangrove restoration in the region dates back 30 years, the pivotal transition occurred roughly 15 years ago. It was then that practitioners realized that restoring a mangrove means, above all, restoring its hydrological dynamics.

1988-1999

1988-1999

Reforestation trials: Mangrove planting
2000-2015

2000-2015

Emergence of Ecological Mangrove Restoration (EMR). Rather than just introducing plants, efforts shifted toward hydrological rehabilitation.
2015-2026

2015-2026

The blue carbon boom and community engagement.

EMR Approach

Popularized by Latin American scientists, Ecological Mangrove Restoration (EMR) consists of five steps prior to 'touching the mud':

01

Understand local ecology.
02

Map historical hydrological patterns (how water used to flow).
03

Identify disturbances (what killed the mangrove: a road, sedimentation, or pollution?).
04

Address hydrological disturbances first (by clearing or opening channels).
05

Plant only if necessary. In over 70% of cases, once water dynamics are restored, the mangrove reseeds itself.

3 Restoration Techniques Used in Central America:

• Hydrological Restoration:

Involves clearing and opening channels to restore tidal inflow, resetting topography, and removing artificial barriers—such as breaching dikes from old salt flats or shrimp farms—to reconnect the wetland with the sea or estuary. Once water flow is restored, propagules (mangrove seedlings) disperse and arrive on their own. manglares

• Targeted Reforestation:

When an ecosystem is too degraded or isolated for channel clearing alone, human intervention becomes necessary. This includes removing invasive species and cultivating propagules in community nurseries until they develop strong roots. The seeds are then planted directly during low tide. manglares

• Chinampas:

Inspired by the pre-Hispanic floating agricultural system of the Valley of Mexico, chinampas are small artificial islets constructed from wood, bamboo and other organic materials. They serve as platforms that support the organic substrate and mechanically protect early seedling development. This technique is deployed when the mud is too unstable or when tidal dynamics threaten to sweep seeds away before they can take root. manglares

The Community Factor: None of these techniques succeed over the long term without community leadership. Local knowledge determines where historic tidal channels run and the exact time of year to clear or plant.

SOURCE: Conservación Internacional and CCAD.

In El Salvador, the community of El Mango experienced a similar turning point. After clearing acres of mangrove forest through sheer willpower, residents discovered a flowering so rich that it multiplied their hives, allowing them to gain an intimate understanding of the bee cycle. But climate variability and the withdrawal of international funding have forced them to adapt once more and find a way to sustain a beneficial activity that does not damage the mangroves.

Communities in Costa Rica and El Salvador have proved that mangroves can be restored. Their challenge is finding a formula to build fair local markets that replace international subsidies.

A millennium after the ancient Maya navigated these waters, the fate of Central America's mangrove forests is once again intertwined with that of bees. In this ecological relationship, sweet, brackish honey ceases to be just a unique product of biodiversity and becomes the symbol of a coastal economy that continues to persevere, sweetening the future of an ecosystem vital to the planet.

A Mangrove Forest Flowing with Honey

Although mangroves are predominantly wind-pollinated, the presence of bees increases seed production, accelerating natural regeneration.

Types of Honey-Producing Bees in Central America:

Africanized Honey Bee

(Apis mellifera): A hybrid of European and African bees
Production:
High (7.5–15 gallons / 28–56 liters per hive/year)
Management:
Requires protective suit, smoker, and hive stands
Ecological Niche:
Generalist
Honey Use:
Food source / Export

Melipona Bees

(Stingless): Native.
Production:
Low (0.25–0.5 gallons / 1–2 liters per hive/year).
Management:
Can be managed without protection.
Ecological Niche:
Specialist (pollinates specific native plants).
Honey Use:
Medicinal / gourmet / ritual.
Abeja real
(Melipona beecheii):
Sacred to the Maya due to its medicinal properties.
Mariola / Angelita / Doncellita
(Tetragonisca angustula):
Exceptionally small bees whose honey is famous for treating vision problems, such as cataracts and pterygium.
Soncuano / Pizco / Enreda-pelo
(Scaptotrigona pectoralis)::
Highly active pollinators.