Seagrass World

Seagrass World, are the only flowering plants which grow in marine environments.

There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae), all in the order Alismatales (in the clade of monocotyledons). Seagrasses evolved from terrestrial plants which recolonised the ocean 70 to 100 million years ago.

The name seagrass stems from the many species with long and narrow leaves. Basically, they grow by rhizome extension and often spread across large “meadows” resembling grassland. Many species superficially resemble terrestrial grasses of the family Poaceae.

Most species undergo submarine pollination and complete their life cycle underwater.

Crustaceans (such as crabs, Majidae zoae, Thalassinidea zoea) and syllid polychaete worm larvae, both found with pollen grains. Certainly, the plant producing nutritious mucigenous clumps of pollen to attract and stick to them instead of nectar as terrestrial flowers do.
Seagrasses form dense underwater seagrass meadows which are among the most productive ecosystems in the world.

They function as important carbon sinks and provide habitats and food for a diversity of marine life. Also comparable to that of coral reefs.