THE COASTLINE HEADING towards Balik Pulau is fortunately lined with mangroves. This salt-tolerant plant species described as halophytes, thrives in Penang's intertidal environment, where the temperature and salinity gradient fluctuate.Mangroves are among nature's most productive ecosystems. They function as carbon sinks, capturing the element in the form of surrounding trees and belowground biomass, and act as natural bulwarks against the devastations brought by tsunamis, tidal erosions and tropical storms.Furthermore, the mangrove ecosystem provides, among other benefits, timber and charcoal, food,...