• Excessive wave energy or current action washes away sediment constantly which hinders the establishment of seedling. Therefore mangrove vegetation cannot develop on exposed coast or embayments.
• Protected bays, lagoons, estuaries and shores behind islands and spits are the most suitable localities.

(F) Tidal range

• Mangroves often prefer colonizing shorelines at around the mid-tide mark where regular tidal inundation and exposure may occur, ie. tides favour the conlonization of of mangrove species.