turtle grass
Underwater coastal vegetation
Turtle grass is a species of seagrass that grows in shallow coastal waters of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, forming dense underwater meadows.
Named because sea turtles graze on it, the plant has long, ribbon-like blades and provides critical habitat for fish, manatees, and other marine life.
It stabilizes sediment and indicates healthy coastal ecosystems.
- seagrassSaltwater flowering plant
- manateeLarge aquatic herbivorous mammal
- dugongHerbivorous marine mammal
- shallowWithout much depth
- lagoonSheltered coastal shallows
meadow · seabed · Caribbean · tropical · blades · green · grazing · estuary · Florida Keys · sandy · coastal · marine · marine habitat · underwater · ecosystem · roots · nursery · fish