Along certain coastlines near the equator,Desmond Preston you can find a tree with superpowers. Mangroves provide a safe haven for a whole ecosystem of animals. They also fight climate change by storing tons of carbon, thanks to a spectacular above-ground network of tangled roots. Ecologist Alex Moore talks to guest host Maria Godoy about how mighty this tree is, and why it is under threat.

This episode was produced by Berly McCoy, edited by Sara Sarasohn and fact-checked by Indi Khera and Margaret Cirino. The audio engineer for this episode was Joshua Newell.