From the Island to The Gambia: Mangrove Research Spans Continents
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – When Dr. Loretta Battaglia and her research assistant first stepped into the mangrove forests of The Gambia last fall, they entered one of the world’s most complex and least studied ecosystems, a place where land, water, and climate converge.
Battaglia, Director of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s Center for Coastal Studies and a wetland ecologist, along with graduate researcher Emily Letner ’27, traveled to West Africa as part of an international research collaboration supported by National Geographic’s Perpetual Planet initiative. The project brings together scientists from the United States, Switzerland, Brazil, and The Gambia to better understand mangrove ecosystems — from biodiversity and carbon storage to how local communities rely on them.
“It’s one of the world’s most beautiful and enchanting forest systems,” Battaglia said. “I’m interested in how it operates ecologically. If we discover something new to science, that’s wonderful, but understanding the system itself is the real goal.”
The project grew out of new connections within the Island University’s Life Sciences Department, where Battaglia’s department chair, Dr. Kam Tang, introduced her to an international network of researchers already working in Gambian mangroves. Together, the group developed a proposal to study the physical, biological, and social dimensions of the ecosystem.
The work caught the attention of the National Geographic Society, which ultimately supported the project. The funding covered three expeditions to The Gambia, with the first completed in October 2025, a second in February 2026, and the third in June 2026.
Battaglia and Letner traveled on the initial expedition to lead the project’s biodiversity assessments. For Letner, the expedition marked her first trip outside the United States and her first experience conducting international field research.
“Being able to do fieldwork in a completely different system and seeing how people rely on that ecosystem was something I’ll carry with me,” said Letner, who also accompanied Battaglia on the second expedition.
Mangrove research is not for the faint of heart. Dense root systems tangle above and below the waterline, turning every step into careful negotiation.
“Fieldwork out there was slow and physically demanding,” Battaglia said. “You’re climbing, ducking, slipping into the mud, and constantly adjusting.”
The team focused on documenting plant communities, sampling invertebrates from sediment cores, and deploying acoustic monitoring devices known as AudioMoths and HydroMoths. The devices record sound both above and below the water, capturing birds, insects, frogs, and aquatic life.
“We were really focused on understanding who was there,” Letner said. “Between the listening devices, the sediment samples, and direct observations, we were trying to build a clearer picture of the biodiversity in the mangrove system.”
In The Gambia, where little baseline acoustic data exists, the recordings may offer rare insight into species presence and movement.
“There’s very little known about the soundscape of these systems,” Battaglia said. “Anything we document is progress.”
Mangroves play an outsized role in regulating the climate. Their dense roots and waterlogged soils trap and store carbon — often referred to as “blue carbon” — preventing it from entering the atmosphere.
“When carbon is locked in vegetation and soil, it’s not contributing to greenhouse gases,” Battaglia explained. “Mangroves act as long-term storage systems. If they’re disturbed, however, that stored carbon can be released.”
That makes accurate measurement critical, especially as global interest in carbon markets grows. Poor data can lead to flawed estimates, risky policy decisions, and exploitation of vulnerable regions. The Gambia, Africa’s smallest mainland country, is particularly sensitive. Oriented east to west and dominated by the Gambia River and its floodplain, the country faces increasing pressure from sea-level rise and development.
“These systems support livelihoods,” Battaglia said. “People fish there. They gather food there.”
The work also depends on strong local partnerships. The team collaborated closely with the GREAT Institute, a Gambian-led organization that conducts environmental and social research while training young scientists and technicians.
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