Seagrass

Seagrass

Seagrass is a flowering plant that grows in the sea. It is more closely related to plants on land than to seaweed. It creates a unique habitat that provides many benefits to other wildlife and people.

Seagrass has horizontal roots that connect plants to form a dense mat on the sea floor.

What does seagrass provide?

Climate regulation
Water quality
Products from nature
Nursery populations and habitats
Cultural services

What does seagrass do for us?

Carbon storage

Seagrass takes up Carbon for growth and stores large quantities in its roots. It is globally important for its potential to mitigate climate change.

Each year seagrass in England stores the amount of carbon produced by return flights for 3,500 passengers from London to New York.

Sediment and nutrient removal

Seagrass meadows act as filters, trapping sediment, nutrients, and pollutants in their root structure and dramatically improving water quality.

Seagrass beds in England remove 17 Olympic swimming pools worth of sediment and excess nutrients from the water each year.

Biodiversity

Seagrass provides a home, place to reproduce and a safe nursery for many species, including some rare and endangered ones.

Many species reproduce in the seagrass and use it to raise their young.

Food from wild caught fish

Healthy seagrass supports many commercial species, ensuring a continuing supply of the fish we eat.

Seagrass habitats provide valuable nursery habitat for 21.5% of the top 25 wild caught fish species globally.

Human happiness and wellbeing

Clear, clean seas rich in biodiversity provide greater opportunities for recreational activities and other benefits for people’s happiness and wellbeing.

Threats and pressures

Declining water quality