The database aims to give a current and historic overview of the global, regional and particularly the local distribution of true mangrove species and displays a fact sheet for each mangrove plant species. The database also provides images and details of herbarium reference specimens and will provide an automated determination key to identify mangroves world-wide.

The database is online at www.vliz.be/vmdcdata/mangroves.

The project is led by Prof. Dr Farid Dahdouh-Guebas (Université Libre de Bruxelles-ULB) and is a joined collaboration between the ULB, the Free University of Brussels, the Belgian Biodiversity Platform and the National Botanic Garden of Belgium. The Flanders Marine Institute has a cooperation agreement with the ULB to provide data management support for this mangrove species project.

A copy of the paper can be downloaded from the Open Marine Archive, see link below.