What are seagrasses?
Seagrasses are flowering plants that live submerged in marine waters. Like land plants, seagrasses manufacture food and oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. Because plants require light for photosynthesis, water clarity effects seagrass survival. A decrease in light reaching the grass blades can reduce the ability of the plants to produce food, thus possibly causing them to die.

What is a wetland?
The US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Environmental Protection Agency define wetlands as “those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas."

For more information, please visit the Army Corp of Engineers' Recognizing Wetlands Web pages http://www.usace.army.mil/inet/functions/cw/cecwo/reg/rw-bro.htm

Why are seagrasses important?
Florida is estimated to have over 2,000,000 acres of nearshore seagrass. Florida's acres of seagrasses are important natural resources that perform many valuable functions:

1. They stabilize the sea bottom with their roots and rhizomes in much the same way that land grasses retard soil erosion (often important when storms approach our coastlines and threaten Florida beaches, businesses, and homes).

2. They help maintain water clarity by trapping fine sediments and particles. Bottom areas without seagrass are more often stirred up by wind and waves decreasing the water clarity and affecting marine animal behavior and recreational quality of coastal areas).

3. They provide habitat for many species of fishes, crustaceans, and shellfish. Research has shown many species are dependent on seagrass meadows for habitat.

4. Seagrasses and the organisms that grow on them are food sources for many animals.

5. They are nursery areas for much of Florida's recreationally and commercially important marine life.

Where can I learn more about seagrasses?
Visit the Seagrasses Section for more information.