Gumoo Woojabuddee Section Fact sheets: Seagrass communities

Abstract

Seagrass is an angiosperm, or flowering plant, adapted to living submerged in the marine environment. Seagrasses are most diverse in tropical regions and generally grow in the intertidal zone on soft substrates such as mud or sand. Seagrass meadows provide important nursery habitat for commercial species of prawns and fish. Seagrasses are an essential foodresource for dugongs and green turtles. They also act as nutrient and sediment sinks and play an important role in maintaining water clarity through sediment stabilisation. Coastal seagrasses are therefore an important resource both economically and ecologically.