In the mangroves of southern Iran's Qeshm Island, you need to be aware of your surroundings at all times. 

“Imagine that you are entering a beautiful mangrove forest, and you are amazed with the beauty of this ecosystem as you listen to the birds sing,” recalls Maryam Shahraki, a marine biologist who did her doctoral research in the area. “Then, you realize that the water is too low and your boat got stuck in the mud!”

Such is life along the shores of Qeshm Island, where low-sloping mud flats lead to large tidal fluctuations that can catch fishermen and scientists unaware and stranded.

The mangroves of Qeshm Island are uniquely adapted to their brutal surroundings, which are characterized by searing heat, little rainfall,