Clear As Mud - Exploring Ancient Mangroves and Their Inhabitants

Explore ancient mangroves and their inhabitants in this 44-minute Speaker Series talk by Jon Noad from Murphy Oil Canada. Delve into the fascinating world of mangrove ecosystems, comparing modern and ancient examples from various locations. Learn about mangrove zonation, colorful varieties, and the Sandakan Formation's ancient humid mangroves. Discover the diverse flora and fauna that inhabit these unique environments, including trees, leaves, roots, insects, lobsters, molluscs, birds, fish, and various vertebrates. Examine the geological aspects of mangrove deposits, including channels, sheets, and tidal influences. Compare humid and arid mangrove environments, and understand the impact of natural disasters like hurricanes on these coastal ecosystems. Gain insights into the diagnostic criteria for identifying fossil mangroves and the reconstruction of ancient mangrove landscapes.

Intro
Talk outline
About mangroves
Zonation of mangroves
Colourful mangroves - RED
Colourful mangroves - BLACK
The Sandakan Formation - Ancient Humid Mangroves
Location of study areas
Fossil mangrove localities on Sandakan Peninsula
Mangrove locality
Channels and sheets
Modern mangrove channels - Miami
Overall interpretation for Sandakan Fm.
Opportunist colonisers - proto mangroves
Location of Santanyi Fm.
Ancient mangroves at Cala Llombards
Tidal and shelly deposits
Rooted mangroves
Sheet-like deposits
Reconstruction of the Santanyi Fm.
Humid vs. Arid Mangroves
Sandakan's fossil "mangrove" forest
Mangrove Trees - modern
Mangrove Leaves - ancient and modern
Mangrove Roots
Mangrove Insects - ancient and modern
Mangrove Lobsters - Thalassina
Mangrove Lobster tracks
Boring (and encrusting) animals
Molluscs
Mangrove Birds - modern
Mangrove Birds - ancient
Mangrove Fish - modern & ancient
Mangrove Deer - modern & ancient
Mangrove turtles - modern & ancient
Other vertebrates
Where were they in Sandakan?
Sandakan supersurface - abandonment
Sandakan reconstruction
Hurricanes in Florida
Coastal morphology of Key Biscayne
Impact on trees and mangroves
Potential consequences
Happy ending?
Diagnostic criteria for identifying fossil mangroves