mangroves live right in the sea, or at the sea edge. their seeds fall from the tree and grow roots as soon as they touch any kind of soil. during low tide, they may fall in soil rather than water and start growing where they fall. if the water level is high, they may be carried far away from where they fell. mangrove trees are often the beginning of what will one day be a small island. as soil and other things collect in their roots, little bodies of land are formed – just the right place for other island vegetation to grow. this is an example of seed dispersal by water.