Read the excerpt and answer the question:

"Mangrove forests act as biophysical buffers along tropical coastlines. Beyond attenuating storm surge kinetic energy, their dense submerged root architectures trap fine terrestrial sediments, preventing siltation from smothering offshore coral reef ecosystems."

According to the excerpt, how do mangroves benefit offshore coral reefs?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. by trapping sediment runoff and preventing reef smothering

  1. Step 1: Trace the explicit ecological mechanism: 'their dense submerged root architectures trap fine terrestrial sediments, preventing siltation from smothering offshore coral reef ecosystems'.
  2. Step 2: Mangroves protect reefs by intercepting land-derived sediment and runoff.
Answer
by trapping sediment runoff and preventing reef smothering.
Why not the others: 'by warming ambient sea surface temperatures to accelerate growth' is false and ecologically harmful (causes bleaching); 'by absorbing all dissolved marine salinity from the water column' is biologically impossible; 'by providing artificial concrete anchors for hard coral polyps' describes artificial reefs, not natural mangrove roots.

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