Mangrove, as you may know, is an important habitat in the Caribbean and many tropical, coastal regions. It's a breeding zone for many fish species, supports unique birds and plants, stabilizes shorelines, purifies water--all in all a critical global ecosystem. The problem with mangrove is that it occupies the same kind of space that also happens to be ideal for tropical paradise hotels and resorts. If you've stayed in beachfront all-inclusive, you've probably been sleeping right on top of former mangrove swamp. Millions of hectares of mangrove have been chopped down, bulldozed in, and otherwise removed for the sake of tourism. I don't have anything against beach hotels--I have to admit I'm quite enjoying my stay here. This particular resort at least has, within their property, preserved a small area of mangrove as a nod to environmental responsibility. You might be able to tell that this particular mangrove is not the most spectacular ever, but it's something, and far ahead of what most resorts are doing. This morning, when I was taking these shots, I saw many guests walking by this small preserve, sadly unaware of what it might represent. I suppose that mangrove and tourism can co-exist. And I know there are folks working for that. But historically as we all know, dollars trump, well, everything. Maybe that's changing. One can only hope.