Once underappreciated, mangroves are having a moment. From global initiatives to community-led efforts , work to conserve these climate superstars is gaining traction. Now, a landmark US$ 45.9 million project aims to give Ecuador’s degraded mangroves a new lease on life, local news reported . The six-year project to protect and restore mangroves in Ecuador’s four main estuaries will be financed by the Green Climate Fund — the world’s largest climate fund — and led by Conservation International-Ecuador, in collaboration with the country’s Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition. By protecting and restoring mangroves — potent climate allies that can absorb massive amounts of planet-warming carbon — the project will sequester nearly 5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases over 20 years, roughly equivalent to removing 1.2 million gas-powered cars from the road. It will also restore critical habitats for marine species that coastal communities rely on for their livelihoods.…