Avicennia marina, the grey mangrove, was introduced to the Mission Bay Marsh in 1964, along with other species of mangroves, by a researcher from Scripps Institution of Oceanography hoping to study their salt gland function, nutritional value, and abilities for erosion control.
Unfortunately, it became clear that the mangroves were doing more harm to the native plants and animals than good. Many efforts to control these invasive mangroves were taken from the 1980s until the present. In April of 2006, their re-emergence was spotted again.
In cooperation with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego Audubon Society, Aquatic Adventures, Wetlands Recovery Project, and the UCSD Natural Reserve System, a project was put in place to remove the population of mangroves while collecting scientific data and involving local youth in hands-on science.
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| Mangrove in Fruit | Mangrove in Bud |
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| Propagule Sprouting on Mud Flats | NRS Staff and Volunteers collecting data |
