Mangrove forests are known for many things: Sheltering aquatic life, providing habitats for birds and protecting shores from storm surge and erosion. Now research shows they're also planet protectors, as they've proven effective against greenhouse gas pollution. A study from Florida Gulf Coast University's Everglades Wetland Research Park has found that mangroves capture carbon in their leaves and below ground in their root systems, preventing release into the atmosphere. Carbon in the atmosphere is rising at a steady rate of 1 percent each year, the study says, and current mangrove systems must be protected to, "continue to store carbon, protect humans from dangerous storms and serve as nurseries for marine life."