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Understanding Seagrasses: Marine Plants Vital for Ecosystems

Seagrasses are unique flowering plants classified in the kingdom Plantae, not true grasses but relatives of lilies, evolved from land plants. Found in oceans worldwide, there are only 55 known species of seagrasses compared to thousands of seaweed species. They possess true leaves, stems, and roots, allowing them to extract nutrients from sediment. Seagrasses' cellulose cell walls provide structural support, vital for underwater stability. These plants offer essential habitats and food sources for marine life, serving as crucial nursery grounds for developing fish and shellfish.

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Understanding Seagrasses: Marine Plants Vital for Ecosystems

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  1. Multi-cellular Primary Producers: The Plants • Worldwide, there are 5,000-6,000 species of seaweed and only 55 species of seagrass! • Seagrasses are flowering plants belonging to the kingdom Plantae • Not actually a grass • Related to lilies; evolved from land plants! • True leaves, stems, and roots

  2. Seagrasses • Underground roots and rhizomes (horizontal stems) extract nutrients from the sediment and hold the plant in its place • Seagrasses have cell walls made out of cellulose (a characteristic of all plants) which provide support for the plant and keep the plant vertical in the water column

  3. Seagrasses • Seagrass provides important shelter and food for many marine inhabitants • Because of the protection they provide, seagrass communities serve as important nursery grounds for developing fish & shellfish http://www.flickr.com/photos/19727876@N00/415368318/

  4. Common seagrass of Long Island Zostera marina (“Eel grass”) http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/cms/jgallagher/tigani/kt_index.html

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