During the last forty years a considerable effort has been dedicated to mangrove research at different locations in the world. However, many questions regarding the fate mangrove of organic matter in wetlands and coastal waters remain unresolved. Particularly problematic is understanding the utilization of detritus produced by mangroves and transported to estuaries. Utilization of mangrove detritus likely varies with latitude, hydrology and geomorphology, but no clear patterns have been proposed. The ecological and socioeconomic value of mangrove largely depends on how significant mangroves are coupled to the secondary productivity of coastal waters. This paper aims at review the knowledge of one of the main functional characteristics of mangrove ecosystems: the utilization of particulate organic matter as an energy source by organisms in mangrove habitat and adjacent waters. Based on mangrove geomorphology, we presented a conceptual model of its relative importance for estuarine and coastal food webs.

Key words: coastal wetlands, detritus, food webs, mangrove, organic matter utilization