This publication provides a timely synthesis of the importance of mangroves to people. It highlights that in spite of the mounting evidence in support of the multitude of benefits derived from mangroves, they remain one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet, being lost at a rate greater than coral reefs and tropical rain forests. This has potentially devastating effects to mangrove biodiversity and in turn, the food security, protection and livelihoods of some of the most marginalized coastal communities in developing countries, where more than 90 percent of the world's mangroves are found.