The Taupinière mangrove extends over 1,965 ft (599 m) along the littoral of the municipality of Le Diamant in the southwest of Martinique. It is part of the 4,571 acres (1,850 ha) of mangroves that represent a third of the island's ecosystems. This coastal forest lives in a flooded state. Present only in saline environments, it both prevents coastal erosion and protects the seagrass beds and coral formations from sedimentary deposits. The roots of its trees adapted to the lack of oxygen stabilize the sandy or muddy soils on which the mangrove develops.