Preserving Earth’s wetlands with satellite technology

Hidden worlds of tangled roots and salted leaves stand unexplored in many coastal regions around the planet and are nearly impossible to reach by foot. Beneath a distinctive smell and plants primed for tripping hazards, this unique gateway between land and sea has something special to offer: a natural occurrence that helps combat climate change. It’s not magic, it’s mangroves. These trees are extremely efficient at storing carbon by removing it from the atmosphere and sequestering it into the ground, resulting in carbon stocks up to 10 times higher than other tropical forests.

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Featured photograph by Tom Saater

National Geographic Explorer and former NASA research scientist Lola Fatoyinbo categorizes the susceptibility of mangroves to climate change and documents how they respond. How does she study these unreachable alien-like terrains? Otherworldly as mangrove forests are, it’s fitting that she observes them from satellites in space.

An aeriel view of the mangrove forest in a coastal area of Nigeria, where Dr. Lola Fatoyinbo conducts research. *(Photograph by Tom Saater)*

Fatoyinbo uses newly developed remote sensing instruments placed on satellites in orbit to gather crucial information about secluded locations without making contact. Remote sensing technologies like LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology and radar use electromagnetic waves to detect objects, letting Fatoyinbo document mangrove height, distribution of forest cover and even monitor the amount of carbon they absorb and store. Using these instruments to understand our planet from space is a relatively new science, and it is already changing how the world thinks about biodiversity.

Increasing threats have caused a sharp decline in mangrove forests around the world, which grow in salty waters between the ocean and land — prime coastal real estate for seaside development and fish farms. Increasing cyclone activity and sea level rise only add to the problems that remaining mangroves face. Many communities depend on these trees as a buffer for waves and heavy storms. Without them, erosion harms coastal landforms and water pollution seeps into daily life.

Fatoyinbo’s passion for research grew from personal roots. As a teenager, she lived in the Ivory Coast and Benin in West Africa and witnessed heartbreaking deforestation and harmful pollution firsthand. These issues affected everyone, but Fatoyinbo noticed the disproportionate impact on people from low-income communities. This, and traveling across continents with her parents, was the inspiration that started her journey and fueled her mission to become a scientist and an Explorer.

Dr. Lola Fatoyinbo collecting ground truthing data on mangrove forest and flooded forests carbon in coastal areas of Nigeria as part of her National Geographic Society grant. *(Photograph by Tom Saater)*

She then came across her first satellite image as a university student, an image of Africa that showed the continent in surprising detail. It was a transformative moment. “When I saw that first image of Africa from space I thought this is how astronauts must feel when they look down at Earth,” she recalls. “I realized that I could use this data to explore every corner of our planet, especially those areas that were understudied or inaccessible.”

Mangroves build ecosystems from the ground up. The thick, tangled roots provide a perfect underwater habitat for crustaceans, mollusks and fish looking to lay eggs, many of which people depend on. Crocodiles and even large marine mammals like manatees call mangrove forests home. Above the waves, terrestrial animals like tigers, monkeys and many birds use the dense leaves for shelter and branches as camouflage.

While jumbled roots make for great habitat, they’re not easy for researchers to traverse and prove difficult to study in person, which is why remote sensing is a convenient method to conduct surveys. But Fatoyinbo isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. In addition to using satellite imagery to understand mangrove height and health, the space ecologist also makes notoriously difficult journeys to research these vital trees on-site.

For Fatoyinbo, making a difference means more than decoding the data and numbers on her screen. It means breaking conceived barriers of exploration by reaching to the stars and peering back to see the overlooked regions of Earth. It means tenaciously traversing some of the most strenuous places on foot and days stuck in thick mud, all in the name of working with communities, organizations, and decision-makers on conservation, carbon sequestration, and planetary protection.

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ABOUT THE WRITER

Avery Truman is a former Executive Communications Intern for the Society, summer 2025. She is passionate about environmental science, astronomy and writing. She believes in the power of words to ignite change and protect our planet and its systems. Outside of her internship, she majors in environmental studies and geography at Utah State University, where she is the Editor-in-Chief of The Utah Statesman.

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content.

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