Mangroves are widely recognised as being one of the most valuable of coastal ecosystems. On a local scale they provide coastal protection, habitat for fish and shellfish, and control water quality. Globally, they are key to mitigate climate change given their considerable capacity to sequester carbon. In Latin America, especially in the Tropical Eastern Pacific region, mangrove forests are abundant, and linked to millions of coastal livelihoods. This thesis investigates the conservation status of mangroves on the Tropical Eastern Pacific coasts of Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, and Panamá, by examining historical trends of mangrove loss, modern rates of deforestation (2000-2012), and the effectiveness of the protected area management in place. The contribution of mangrove-associated species to fisheries is evaluated using two artisanal fishing communities as case studies: Northern Chocó, Colombia and the Gulf of Montijo, Panamá. To do this, I investigate historical ecology, perform spatial analysis of proximate drivers of land use and land cover change adjacent to mangroves, and analyse small-scale fisheries landings. Results show that mangrove dependent species are important for small-scale fisheries in the Gulf of Montijo, Panamá. In Northern Chocó, territorial use rights in fisheries promote offshore fishing, thereby reducing fishing pressure on mangrove-associated species, but simultaneously may have displaced fishing effort from industrial trawlers into neighbouring areas. Regionally, mangrove area declined by almost 50% in the 20th century, but deforestation was virtually zero between 2000 and 2012, showing that protected areas are highly effective at conserving mangroves. Given that the success of mangrove conservation depends on government capacity to integrate multi-sectorial interests over mangroves, this thesis represents an important step to inform management strategies that involve a better understanding of human-mangrove interactions in Latin America.
