Seagrasses are flowering plants that are located in the subtidal zone of estuarine systems submerged in estuarine waters except for occasions when low tides expose seagrass to the air (NOAA 2004). Seagrasses appear similar to blades of grass, although they are not part of the grass family (NOAA 2004). Seagrass habitats occur where water clarity is high because the photosynthetic plants require high levels of sunlight. Seagass beds provide many services to the ecosystems including maintaining water clarity by capturing particulate matter in the water column with their leaves, providing shelter for fish, shellfish, and crustaceans, using their roots to stabilize bottom sediment, and providing a food source for many estuarine organisms as well as watering birds.
