seagrasses
Marine flowering plants
Seagrasses are flowering plants that grow underwater in shallow coastal waters, forming dense meadows on the ocean floor.
Unlike seaweed, which are algae, seagrasses have roots, stems, and leaves like terrestrial grasses.
They provide critical habitat for marine life and stabilize sediments: Seagrasses support fish nurseries and filter coastal waters.
Range of life forms
- nurseriesPlant or baby facilities
- grazersAnimals eating ground vegetation
- manateesLarge aquatic grazing mammals
- dugongsTropical marine herbivores
seahorses · fish · invertebrates · waterfowl · detritivores · microhabitat · productivity
Horizontal subterranean stem structures
- angiospermsPlants producing covered seeds
- monocotyledonsSingle embryonic leaf plants
- floweringProducing reproductive structures
- perennialRecurring each year
hydrophytes · chlorophyll · photosynthesis · leaves · blades · roots · stolons · pollination
Grassland for grazing
- estuariesRiver-sea meeting points
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- saltmarshCoastal wetland with brackish water
- seabedUnderwater terrain below
benthic · substrate · sediment · sand · silt · clay · shallows · lagoons
Returning something to condition
- protectionGuarding against harm
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- monitoringOngoing observation of something
decline · threats · dredging · eutrophication · pollution · resilience · replanting · sanctuaries
biodiversity
Range of life forms
- nurseriesPlant or baby facilities
- grazersAnimals eating ground vegetation
- manateesLarge aquatic grazing mammals
dugongs · seahorses · fish · invertebrates · waterfowl · detritivores · microhabitat · productivity
rhizomes
Horizontal subterranean stem structures
- angiospermsPlants producing covered seeds
- monocotyledonsSingle embryonic leaf plants
- floweringProducing reproductive structures
perennial · hydrophytes · chlorophyll · photosynthesis · leaves · blades · roots · stolons · pollination · seeds
meadows
Grassland for grazing
- estuariesRiver-sea meeting points
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- saltmarshCoastal wetland with brackish water
seabed · benthic · substrate · sediment · sand · silt · clay · shallows · lagoons · intertidal
eelgrass
Submerged marine flowering plant
restoration
Returning something to condition
- protectionGuarding against harm
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
monitoring · decline · threats · dredging · eutrophication · pollution · resilience · replanting · sanctuaries · stewardship
seagrasseskelp
Large brown marine algae
algae · seaweed · macroalgae · phytoplankton · red algae