Little Mangrove Stock Photo

Rhizophora mangle, the red mangrove is distributed in estuarine ecosystems throughout the tropics. Its viviparous "seeds", in actuality called propagules, become fully mature plants before dropping off the parent tree. These are dispersed by water until eventually embedding in the shallows. Rhizophora mangle grows on aerial prop roots, which arch above the water level, giving stands of this tree the characteristic "mangrove" appearance. This photo was taken at Kondang Merak Beach - Malang, East Java - Indonesia