Mangroves play a crucial role in maintaining the stability of coastal regions, particularly in the face of climate change. To gain insight into associations between climate change and mangroves, we conducted bibliometric research on the global indexed database of the Web of Knowledge, Core Collection. A total of 4458 literature were analyzed based on bibliometric information and article metadata through a scientometric analysis of citation analysis as well as a cluster analysis. Results suggest that coastal countries such as the USA, Australia, China, India, and Brazil are showing the recent influential mangrove-related keywords such as blue carbon and carbon stock. Interestingly, the “carbon stock”, “Saudi Arabia”, “range expansion” and “nature-based flood risk mitigation” is among the top cluster networks in the field of climate change and mangrove forest. The present research is expected to attract potential leaders in research, government, civil society, and business to advance progress towards mangrove sustainability in the changing climate meaningfully.

The short- to long-distance dispersal (SDD and LDD) of propagules is critical for the regeneration of mangrove forests. Mark–recapture experiments are considered to be a good tool for assessing such dispersal patterns. However, dense mangrove roots, exposed mudflats, shallow water, etc. often limit the number of recaptured propagules and their implication studies. Therefore, a combination of hydrodynamic and particle tracking models, together with a mark–recapture experiment, were applied to identify the dispersal behavior of Rhizophora mucronata Lamk. propagules in a coastal lagoon of Setiu Wetlands, Malaysia. The transport trajectories revealed that the dispersal of propagules is leptokurtic, with majority of them confined to very-short-distance dispersal (VSDD; 3–5 m) to SDD (1400 m). While higher obstacle density (e.g., mangrove roots) constrained the propagule dispersal, weaker tidal currents that coupled with less upstream discharge increased their retention time and settlement closer to the point of release. Under this scenario, the chances for propagules to exit from the lagoon mouth and their entry into the open waters for LDD are very limited. These results can explain the abundance of Rhizophora spp. in the northern sector of the Setiu Wetlands and be useful for species-level conservation/management.

The present dataset provides information on the abundance of microplastics (MPs) in relation to different feeding habits of the four mangrove brachyuran crab species namely, Parasesarma eumolpe, Austruca annulipes, Metaplax elegans and Scylla olivacea at Setiu Wetlands in Peninsular Malaysia. Three sites namely, Pulau Layat (upstream, close to the core mangrove zone), Kampung Pengkalan Gelap (midstream, close to the settlements), and Pulau Sutung (downstream, close to the shifted river mouth) were chosen for the sample collection (through hand catch method and traps) in both the dry (Feb-Mar 2021) and the wet (Dec 2021 - Jan 2022) seasons. The cardiac stomach of each crab was dissected, digested in potassium hydroxide and then filtered through a 1.6 µm pore size glass fibre filter using the vacuum pump. The abundance, type and colour of MPs per crab individual were determined under a stereomicroscope (Carl Zeiss Stemi 508, China) attached to the digital camera (Axiocam 208 colour). The general abundance of MPs was found in the order of carnivorous S. olivacea > microphytobenthos feeder A. annulipes > herbivorous P. eumolpe > detritivorous M. elegans. The data also reveal morphometric measurements such as body weight, gut weight, carapace width and carapace length of the crab specimens. The information given in this article is useful for study replications and scientific comparisons, especially with brachyuran crabs and other organisms with similar feeding guilds, in the mangroves of Malaysia and elsewhere.