New studies looking at the relationship between property damage from floods and hurricanes—and the presence of mangrove trees—suggest that this coastal species, which is loved by fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates, can actually save a country millions of dollars of property damage every year.

If you’ve ever lived near water, you’ll understand that flood insurance is about as unforgiving as business gets. An international team of researchers recently mapped almost half-a-million miles of world coastal property and the flood risks associated therein.

The researchers found that flooding racks up about $730 billion every year in property damage, but that the presence of coastal mangroves, a salt-tolerant species of tree growing along the shores of 59 countries, corresponded with 65 billion fewer dollars needed for flood damage due to their incredible ability to blunt storm surges—the rise in sea level and mass of waves hitting the coast during hurricanes.