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Seagrass facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Floridian seagrass bed
A sea grass bed in Florida Bay
FangoCarb1
Young mangroves and carbonate mud in the internal part of the lagoon – Florida Bay
Evolution of seagrasses Pengo
Diagram of plant evolution from the Precambrian to the sea grasses.

Sea grasses are flowering plants which live in the sea. They come from one of four plant families in the order Alismatales. They are monocotyledons which grow in marine, fully saline environments.

Sea grass is a key part of continental shelf ecosystems where phytoplankton produce carbonate sediment. This kind of ecosystem occurs in subtropical places like Florida Bay, and around Bermuda. Sea grass beds often contain many species from various phyla. Apparently, seagrass herbivory is a highly important link in the food chain. Many species feed on sea grasses, such as green turtles, dugongs, manatees, fish, geese, swans, sea urchins and crabs.

Taxonomy

Family Image Genera Description
Zosteraceae The family Zosteraceae, also known as the seagrass family, includes two genera containing 22 marine species. It is found in temperate and subtropical coastal waters, with the highest diversity around Korea and Japan.
Species subtotal:
Tectura palacea 3.jpg
Phyllospadix
6 species
Zostera.jpg
Zostera
Hydrocharitaceae The family Hydrocharitaceae, also known as tape-grasses, include Canadian waterweed and frogbit. The family includes both fresh and marine aquatics, although of the seventeen species currently recognised only three are marine. They are found throughout the world in a wide variety of habitats, but are primarily tropical.
Species subtotal:
Enhalus acoroides01.jpg
Enhalus
1 species
Johnsons seagrass bed.jpg
Halophila
19 species
Thalassia hemprichii.jpg
Thalassia
2 species
Posidoniaceae The fast of Australia.
Species subtotal: 2 to 9
Posidonia 2 Alberto Romeo.jpg
Posidonia
2 to 9 species
Cymodoceaceae The family Cymodoceaceae, also known as the manatee-grass family, includes only marine species. Some taxonomists do not recognize this family.
Species subtotal:
Amphibolis antarctica 1859.jpg
Amphibolis
2 species
Cymodocea.JPG
Cymodocea
4 species
Halodule wrightii.jpg
Halodule
6 species
Syringodium isoetifolium et Acropora sp..jpg
Syringodium
2 species
Thalassodendron ciliatum.jpg
Thalassodendron
3 species
Total species:

Images for kids

See also

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