 The level is rising globally and at an accelerated rate, even a seemingly small increase could have potentially devastating consequences. However, preliminary studies show that in some areas, mangrove forests could be acting as a natural barrier to these changes, protecting coastlines by adapting to the rise in sea level. With its partners, the Centre for International Forestry Research, C4, is exploring just how these coastal wetland forests adapt in the face of sea level rise and what impacts deforestation is having on the mangroves. Mangroves thrive in a saline intertidal environment that's prone to rapid water level changes. This means the structure of their roots is highly effective in pumping oxygen into the soil and trapping sediment. In many places, the rate of sediment accumulation keeps pace with the rising rate of the sea level, protecting interior areas from erosion and flooding. But degradation and deforestation threaten this unique ecosystem. We are losing the mangroves at a faster rate than global deforestation, leaving many coastlines and those whose livelihoods depend on them exposed. To better understand mangrove ecosystems, a team from C4, the University of Singapore, the University of Papua and Bintuni Utama-Murni Wood Industries, spent 10 days collecting data in Bintuni Bay Papua, home to half of Indonesia's mangroves. The team aims to set up equipment to help understand how these trees adapt to sea level changes, to monitor the effect a number of factors have on the rate of sediment accumulation and to assess the amount of carbon they hold. The results from this data can help identify the areas most vulnerable to factors such as pollution, coastal development and aquaculture, which will inform conservation programs of the areas that most need their attention. The scientists spent the first few days in Manawaki speaking to local universities and preparing themselves before going into the field. What they're collecting is accurate, site-specific data that can show how quickly mangrove forests are capable of adapting to sea level rises. The way to get this information is by using the ROD Surface Elevation Table Marker Horizon Method, known as ARSET. This portable measuring device is very simple. Using it causes no damage to the environment, is low cost and is currently the only tool that can capture surf's elevation change with such precision. We're at 14 metres and this is the receiver, which we're going to put into the PVC pipe attached to the steel rod and then cover in cement and then when we come back in a few months to measure the ARSET, the ARSET arm locks into here and so this is our stable point where we might take all of our measurements. But before we take the measurement, we've got to install it. Here is the receiver installed on the rod. So now we're going to cement the rod into position. This is using the high-tech piece of equipment that you saw earlier, the cup, to scoop out some of the water. We're going to make the cement cake. This is a cement and sand mix and we just scoop it in, being careful not to spill it outside of the tube. So as I add some water to the cement, I pour it over the receiver to make sure we haven't got any bits of cement stuck on here. So we've almost mixed the cake in the cement once it sets. This is almost done. We just ice the cake, make sure it's flat. And we're done. One ARSET finished. The ARSET captures surface elevation change by measuring the rate the soil level increases against the markers that are being installed. The equipment will be installed in 15 plots spread across three different parts of the forest, interior, fringe and mudflat. Once into place, the benchmark rod can be left for long periods of time and the team can return whenever they want to collect their data. They'll collect the data from the site every three months for the first year and every six months in the following year. To ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data, the project will last a minimum of five years. We want to have a representative situation because sedimentation is so slow. So sea level rise caused by climate change is relatively slow. And we want to see at least five, six years to look at how it's the accumulation of sediment and also see the change in sea level. We can date it by looking at the carbon dating approach. So we can see what's in the past 300, 1,000, 5,000 years ago as well by taking the sample below the ground. Carrying out research in muddy, flood-prone areas comes with a host of logistical challenges and dangers. This is a technique you will learn at the Graduate School in the National University of Singapore. The technique will be called the wind in mangrove technique. The work can also have an effect on your body. But of course, some challenges are a little more pressing than others. Your lunch to you instead. Yeah, it's probably easier. Besides protecting coastal zones, mangroves contain some of the highest carbon stocks in the world. Previous seafall research has found that mangroves hold three times as much carbon as other tropical forests, which makes them a high priority in climate change adaptation and mitigation programs. Samples of the surface soil will be collected by the team throughout the project to measure its carbon density. The precise data retrieved from areas like the one in Papua can be used to inform emissions reductions initiatives. The carbon storage capacity of mangroves is all the more reason to renew efforts to protect them. Currently, we have 13 million hectares of mangrove. But in the past 30 years or so, the world has lost almost half of the mangrove cover. And in Indonesia, at the moment, we have 2.6 million hectares. It used to be around 4.5 million hectares in the 80s. So in the past 30 years, we've lost 40% plus area of mangrove, meaning that the deforestation or the loss rate is about more than 50,000 hectares a year. There are clear links between the destruction and degradation of mangrove forests and the increased vulnerability of many coastlines. Protecting mangroves means not only less carbon is released, but coastlines are better protected by a natural coastal buffer. This means they are more resilient in the face of global warming, sea level rises and extreme weather events. Changes to sea level rise and surface elevation occur on a millimeter scales. This means that current mapping techniques such as satellites, GPS and LiDAR lack the precision to monitor the changes. If highly precise asset data is combined with existing mapping technologies that can cover large areas, it could lead to substantial advances in understanding wetland vulnerability. This is just the beginning of the project. The team will be returning to Papua to collect data for years to come. The future of these mangroves could depend on it.