(250726) -- NEGOMBO, July 26, 2025 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on July 25, 2025 shows a view of mangroves with herons near the lagoon in Negombo, Sri Lanka. July 26 marks the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. Sri Lanka's mangroves play an important role in purifying seawater, buffering coastal storms, sequestering carbon and sustaining biodiversity. (Photo by Thilina Kaluthotage/Xinhua)