Video recommendation - How 40 million Australian trees died of thirst

In 2015, about 10% of Australia's vast mangrove forests in the Gulf of Carpentaria mysteriously died.

Scientists have now figured out the cause - and warn the forests may struggle to recover in a changing climate.

Mangroves are a group of about 80 different salt-tolerant species of trees that are able to live along the intertidal zones of coastlines in tropical and sub-tropical regions.

The characteristic root systems of these trees allow them to withstand the ebb and flow of daily tides. The roots also act as buffers, slowing the flow of the tidal waters, allowing sediment to settle and build up as nutrient-rich mud.

The unique habitats provide valuable shelter and breeding sites for fish, as well as stabilising coastlines, reducing erosion from storm surges and sea level rise.