Mangrove forests are healing after decades of human destruction

Swampy mangrove forests are staging a surprise comeback - which is good news for coastal communities and the climate.

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For decades these swampy trees had been declining rapidly as they were cleared for fish farms and housing.

But a new study shows that since 2010 the world has been gaining more mangroves than it has been losing - driven by stronger legal protections and increased public awareness of their importance, sparked by disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

The researchers say the key factor though is the remarkable capacity of these forests to regenerate naturally once humans stop chopping them down.

Mangroves are one of the world's unsung environmental heroes.