Halophila johnsonii (Johnson's seagrass) in the coast of Florida

Seagrass (or sea-grass in British English) are flowering plants from four plant families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae) that grow in the marine saline environment. Image File history File links Johnsons seagrass bed From a USA government website that doesnt have a proclaimed copyright restriction: http://www. ... Image File history File links Johnsons seagrass bed From a USA government website that doesnt have a proclaimed copyright restriction: http://www. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170,451 km² 260 km 800 km 17. ... British English (BrE) is a term used (especially by Americans) to differentiate between the form of the English language used in the United Kingdom and those used elsewhere. ... Classes Magnoliopsida- Dicots Liliopsida- Monocots The flowering plants (also called angiosperms) are a major group of land plants. ... Posidoniaceae is a family of aquatic plants conatining a single genus, Posidonia. ... Genera Heterozostera Phyllospadix Zostera Zosteraceae is a family of aquatic grass. ... Genera Apalanthe Appertiella Blyxa Egeria Elodea Enhalus Halophila Hydrilla Hydrocharis Lagarosiphon Limnobium Maidenia Nechamandra Ottelia Stratiotes Thalassia Vallisneria Hydrocharitaceae is a family of that includes a number of species of aquatic plant, broadly they are called tape-grasses. ...

They are called seagrasses only because most species superficially resemble terrestrial grasses of the Family Poaceae. Because these plants must photosynthesize, they are limited to growing submerged in the photic zone, and most occur in shallow and sheltered coastal waters anchored in sand or mud bottoms. They undergo pollination while submerged and complete their entire life cycle underwater. There are about 60 species worldwide (although the taxonomy is still disputed). Subfamilies There are 7 subfamilies: Subfamily Arundinoideae Subfamily Bambusoideae Subfamily Centothecoideae Subfamily Chloridoideae Subfamily Panicoideae Subfamily Pooideae Subfamily Stipoideae The true grasses are monocotyledonous plants (Class Liliopsida) in the Family Poaceae, also known as Gramineae. ... Leaf. ... The photic zone is the depth of the water, whether in a lake or an ocean, that is exposed to sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis to occur. ... A flower-fly pollinating a Common Daisy (Bellis perennis) Pollination is an important step in the reproduction of seed plants: the transfer of pollen grains (male gametes) to the plant carpel, the structure that contains the ovule (female gamete). ... Taxonomy (from Greek verb tassein = to classify and nomos = law, science, cf economy) may refer to: the science of classifying living things (see alpha taxonomy) a system of classification in some other field Taxonomy was once only the science of classifying living organisms, but later the word was applied in...

Seagrasses form extensive beds or meadows, that can be either monospecific (made up of one species) or multispecific (where more than one species co-exist). In temperate areas, usually one or a few species dominate (for instance Eelgrass Zostera marina in the North Atlantic), whereas tropical beds usually are more diverse, with up to 13 species recorded in the Philippines. A meadow is a tract of grassland, either in its natural state or used as pasture or for growing hay. ... Eelgrass can refer to two different plants: Marine eelgrass - Zostera marina Freshwater eelgrass - Vallisneria americana This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Species Zostera japonica Zostera marina Zostera is a genus small genus of widely distributed aquatic grass, it is commonly called eelgrass. ... In biology, a species is the basic unit of biodiversity. ...

Seagrass beds are highly diverse and productive ecosystems, and can harbor hundreds of associated species from all phyla, for example juvenile and adult fish, epiphytic and free-living macroalgae and microalgae, shellfish, bristle worms, and nematodes. Few species were originally considered to feed directly on seagrass leaves (partly because of their low nutritional content), but scientific reviews and improved working methods have shown that seagrass herbivory is a highly important link in the food chain, with hundreds of species feeding on seagrasses worldwide, including dugongs, manatees, fish, geese, swans, sea urchins and crabs. In ecology, the word ecosystem is an abbreviation of the term, ecological system. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus: one of the most abundant species of fish in the world. ... Microalgae are the most primitive form of plants. ... Shellfish is a term used to describe shelled molluscs and crustaceans used as food. ... Orders Amphinomida Capitellida Chaetopterida Cirratulida Cossurida Ctenodrillidae Eunicida Flabelligerida Magelonida Myzostomida Nerillida Opheliida Orbiniida Orweniida Phyllodocida Pisionidae Polygordiida Protodrilida Psammodrilidae Sabellida Spionida Spintheridae Sternaspida Terebellida The Polychaeta or Polychaetes are a class of annelid worms, generally marine, with a pair of fleshy protrusions on each body segment called parapodia that... Classes Adenophora    Subclass Enoplia    Subclass Chromadoria Secernentea    Subclass Rhabditia    Subclass Spiruria    Subclass Diplogasteria The roundworms (Phylum Nematoda) are one of the most common phyla of animals, with over 20,000 different described species. ... In the armed forces, leave is permission to be away from ones unit for a period of time. ... A review is an evaluation of a publication, such as a movie, video game, musical composition, or book. ... In zoology, an herbivore is an animal that is adapted to eat primarily plants (rather than meat). ... Binomial name Dugong dugon (Müller, 1776) Dugongs (Dugong dugon) are the smallest members of the order Sirenia (which also includes the manatees and Stellers Sea Cow). ... Species Trichechus inunguis Trichechus manatus Trichechus senegalensis Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large aquatic mammals sometimes known as sea cows. ... Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus: one of the most abundant species of fish in the world. ... Other uses: Goose (disambiguation) Genera Anser Branta Chen Cereopsis † see also: Swan, Duck Anatidae Goose (plural geese) is the general English name for a considerable number of birds, belonging to the family Anatidae. ... Genera/Species Cygnus Bechstein 1803 Cygnus cygnus Cygnus buccinator Cygnus columbianus Cygnus bewickii Cygnus atratus Cygnus atratus sumnerensis Cygnus melancoryphus Cygnus olor Cygnus sumnerensis Coscoroba Reichenbach 1853 Coscoroba coscoroba Swans are large water birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. ... Subclasses Euechinoidea Superorder Atelostomata Order Cassiduloida Order Spatangoida (heart urchins) Superorder Diadematacea Order Diadematoida Order Echinothurioida Order Pedinoida Superorder Echinacea Order Arbacioida Order Echinoida Order Phymosomatoida Order Salenioida Order Temnopleuroida Superorder Gnathostomata Order Clypeasteroida (sand dollars) Order Holectypoida Perischoechinoidea Order Cidaroida (pencil urchins) Group of black, long-spined Caribbean sea... Sections Dromiacea Raninoida Heterotremata Thoracotremata The term crab is often applied to several different groups of short (nose to tail) decapod crustaceans with thick exoskeletons, but only members of the Brachyura are true crabs; other taxa, such as hermit crabs, porcelain crabs, king crabs, and horseshoe crabs are, despite superficial...

Seagrasses are sometimes labelled ecosystem engineers, because they partly create their own habitat: the leaves slow down water-currents increasing sedimentation, and the seagrass roots and rhizomes stabilize the seabed. Their importance for associated species is mainly due to provision of shelter (through their three-dimensional structure in the water column), and for their extraordinary high rate of primary production. As a result, seagrasses provide coastal zones with a number of ecological goods and ecological services, for instance fishing grounds, wave protection, oxygen production and protection against coastal erosion. An ecosystem engineer is any organism that modifies its own ecosystem. ... The term habitat has a number of unrelated meanings: A concept in Ecology: see habitat. ... Sedimentation describes the motion of particles in solutions or suspensions in response to an external force such as gravity, centrifugal force or electric force. ... Primary and secondary roots in a cotton plant In vascular plants, the root is that organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil (compare with stem). ... Ginger rhizome In botany, a rhizome is a usually-underground, horizontal stem of a plant that often sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. ... Shelter can refer to several things: Look up shelter on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it easier to understand, this article or section may require cleanup. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock, and other particles) by the agents of wind, water, ice, movement in response to gravity, or living organisms (in the case of bioerosion). ...

Seagrass from the coast of Florida

Floridian seagrass bed From a USA government website that doesnt have a proclaimed copyright restriction: http://www. ... Floridian seagrass bed From a USA government website that doesnt have a proclaimed copyright restriction: http://www. ...

Genera of sea grasses

• Family Posidoniaceae
  • Posidonia

• Family Zosteraceae
  • Zostera
  • Heterozostera
  • Phyllospadix

• Family Hydrocharitaceae (Frogbit family)
  • Enhalus
  • Halophila
  • Thalassia

• Family Cymodoceaceae
  • Amphibolis
  • Cymodocea
  • Halodule
  • Syringodium
  • Thalassodendron

Posidoniaceae is a family of aquatic plants conatining a single genus, Posidonia. ... Genera See text Posidoniaceae Hutch. ... Genera Heterozostera Phyllospadix Zostera Zosteraceae is a family of aquatic grass. ... Species Zostera japonica Zostera marina Zostera is a genus small genus of widely distributed aquatic grass, it is commonly called eelgrass. ... Genera Apalanthe Appertiella Blyxa Egeria Elodea Enhalus Halophila Hydrilla Hydrocharis Lagarosiphon Limnobium Maidenia Nechamandra Ottelia Stratiotes Thalassia Vallisneria Hydrocharitaceae is a family of that includes a number of species of aquatic plant, broadly they are called tape-grasses. ...

See also

• Alismatales

Families Alismataceae Aponogetonaceae Araceae Butomaceae Cymodoceaceae Hydrocharitaceae Juncaginaceae Limnocharitaceae Posidoniaceae Potamogetonaceae Ruppiaceae Scheuchzeriaceae Tofieldiaceae Zosteraceae The order Alismatales contains the alismatids, a group of monocotyledons (class Liliopsida). ...

References

• den Hartog, C. 1970. The Sea-grasses of the World. Verhandl. der Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, Afd. Natuurkunde, No. 59(1).
• Hemminga, M.A. & Duarte, C. 2000. Seagrass Ecology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 298 pp.
• Short, F.T. & Coles, R.G.(eds). 2001. Global Seagrass Research Methods. Elsevier Science, Amsterdam. 473 pp.
• Green, F.P. & Short, F.T.(eds). 2003. World Seagrass Atlas. UNEP, UCP, Berkely. 286 pp.
• A.W.D. Larkum, R.J. Orth, and C.M. Duarte (eds). Seagrass Biology: A Treatise. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, in press.

External links

• Taxonomy of seagrasses
• World seagrass association
• General site on seagrasses from University of Hawaii