Sea Grass Beds Are Of Importance

ENTRY 5; WEEK 9

Seagrasses are submerged flowering plants found in shallow marine waters, such as bays. A vital part of the marine ecosystem due to their productivity level, seagrasses provide food, habitat, and nursery areas for numerous vertebrate and invertebrate species. The vast biodiversity and sensitivity to changes in water quality inherent in seagrass communities makes seagrasses an important species to help determine the overall health of coastal ecosystems. Seagrasses perform numerous functions:

• Stabilizing the sea bottom- The extensive root system (see diagram below) in seagrasses, which extends both vertically and horizontally, helps stabilize the sea bottom in a manner similar to the way land grasses prevent soil erosion.

• Ecosystem support: Seagrasses provide food, shelter, and essential nursery areas to commercial and recreational fishery species and to countless aquatic organisms living in seagrass communities.

• Food for example, turtles obtain their food from the seagrass beds.

• Water Quality: Seagrasses help trap fine sediments and particles that are suspended in the water column, which increases water clarity. When a sea floor area lacks seagrass communities, the sediments are more frequently stirred by wind and waves, decreasing water clarity, affecting marine animal behavior, and generally decreasing the recreational quality of coastal areas.

References

Website: http://www.marbef.org/wiki/seagrass_meadows (Marine Biodiversity Wiki)