seagrass beds
Marine plant habitat
Seagrass beds are underwater meadows of flowering plants that grow in shallow coastal waters.
These dense marine ecosystems provide habitat for fish, sea turtles, and invertebrates while stabilizing sediments and absorbing carbon.
The seagrass beds off the coast support a thriving population of seahorses.
Unlike seaweed, seagrasses are true plants with roots, leaves, and flowers.
- dugongsTropical marine herbivores
- seahorsesSmall fish, curled tails
- mangrovesSalt-water coastal trees
- sea turtlesOcean-dwelling shelled reptiles
- estuariesRiver-sea meeting points
eelgrass · carbon sink · manatees · green turtle · eutrophication · nursery · water filtration · carbon storage · epiphytes · erosion control · wave energy · rhizomes · ocean floor · tidal flats · tidal zone · coastal ecosystem · sandy · habitat destruction
seagrass bedskelp forests
Dense underwater seaweed ecosystems
deep sea floor · open ocean · rocky reefs · hydrothermal vents · oceanic trenches