The dancing trees of Sumba Island

On the northern coast of Indonesia's Sumba Island, a stand of mangrove trees appears to dip and sway to summon another sunrise. Walakiri Beach is gently sloped, so it's easy for a visitor to walk out into the knee-deep water to examine the transitional zone - where land meets the sea - of a mangrove ecosystem. Mangroves thrive here, growing in coastal salt water and low-oxygen conditions where other trees would quickly die. Their complex root systems filter out the salt and form a strong natural defence against storm surges, rising sea levels and coastal erosion. They are also home to a huge range of juvenile fish and crustaceans.
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