Tolerance to salinity (halophytes plants) is the mayor characteristic of the tree species of mangrove forest formations. The dominant mangrove species in the Caribbean Sea are:

Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) is the specie that is best suited for the invasion of flooded sea areas with the roots as stilt. This allows them to survive in muddy areas where their development strategies is to increase support to sustain their root with the aerial tree part and contributes to colonize new areas. This root system is the best known and distinguished by an intricate tangle of roots that penetrate the water to the bottom. In the ecological mangrove succession the red mangrove is the pioneer plant in the sea water to modify the environmental conditions and such changes allows the evolution of this peculiar ecosystem. Already under these conditions is remarkable the number of birds that live and nest in its branches of the aerial tre and the marine species under the shelter of the tangle of their submerged roots, were mani species of the marine ecosystem begin their life cycle .

 

Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans). After the accumulation and stabilization of the sediments done by the red mangrove it can develop the black mangrove. The sail are stable, compact and remain poor in oxygen; also they are periodically flooded by tides, because of the plain topography were the evaporation of the seawater increases the salt in the soil. The black mangrove develops roots that extends beyond the treetop and come out vertically from the floor (pneumatophores) to stay above the water level during the tides because they make important exchange of gases at the root level. Salt absorbed by the plant is excreted by the leaves.

White mangrove (Laguncularia). This tree can be small and look like a bush, usually occurs from 33 to 66 feets high and 2 feets in diameter. The trunk is straight and dense rounded crown with ascending branches. It is characteristic of the soil mouths of rivers where shallow lagoons with brackish water are formed. Usually it develops in areas where there has been increased sedimentation and is under the influence of the tides.

Button Mangrove or Botoncillo (Conocarpus erectus)

Along with the tree species mentioned for the Caribbean Sea, other species that have a particular distribution are found in mangrove forests all over the world.

There are many possible references within the Internet, so it is recommended for a schematic vision of Mangroves in the Caribbean Sea the work of Carmen Gonzalez Toro (2010 Spanish).