Like their relatives, seagrasses have leaves, roots and veins, and produce flowers and seeds. Seagrasses belong to a group of plants called monocotyledons that include grasses, lilies and palms. (Courtesy of the Integration and Application Network (), University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science )Įven though seagrasses and seaweeds look superficially similar, they are very different organisms. Algae on the seafloor have a holdfast and transport nutrients through the body by diffusion, while seagrasses are flowering vascular plants with roots and an internal transport system. What Are Seagrasses? A Plant, Not a SeaweedĪlgae or "seaweeds" (left) differ from seagrasses (right) in several ways. Work is ongoing around the world to restore these important ecosystems. Seagrasses provide many important services to people as well, but many seagrasses meadows have been lost because of human activities. Seagrasses provide shelter and food to an incredibly diverse community of animals, from tiny invertebrates to large fish, crabs, turtles, marine mammals and birds. Although they often receive little attention, they are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. Seagrasses can form dense underwater meadows, some of which are large enough to be seen from space.
They evolved around 100 million years ago, and today there are approximately 72 different seagrass species that belong to four major groups. Seagrasses have roots, stems and leaves, and produce flowers and seeds. They are often confused with seaweeds, but are actually more closely related to the flowering plants that you see on land. Seagrasses are so-named because most species have long green, grass-like leaves.
Seagrasses are found in shallow salty and brackish waters in many parts of the world, from the tropics to the Arctic Circle.
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