Beyond that, what the children have done is “leave a legacy for science,” says Jane. Rooted in the conservational legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Founding Father, mangroves – “a nature superpower” – are essential coastal ecosystems. Abundant across the UAE, they act as natural, high-efficiency buffers against climate change and severe weather, protecting shorelines from erosion, surges, and flooding, while serving as critical, biodiversity-rich nurseries for marine life and birds. Mangroves are blue carbon sinks that lock away carbon in coastal soils and sediments for centuries.