How Seagrass Can Protect the Ocean
seagrass ocean conservation biodiversity marine life
If you have spent time at the beach, you are familiar with seaweed – the lengthy, lettuce-like matter that grazes your legs in the ocean and marks the tide lines on the sand. Individuals often misidentify this marine plant as seagrass.
Unlike seaweed, seagrass roots itself to the ocean floor and produces leaves and flowers. Its structure provides various benefits to the aquatic ecosystem including serving as habitats for species, preventing storm surge and sequestering carbon.
But global seagrass meadows are declining due to human activity, threatening the security of all marine life. To understand why we should limit our impact, we first must understand the importance of this plant species.
Stability
Seagrass is a critical element holding down the ocean floor. Itsroots spread beneath the surface, holding sediment in place. The plant also produces rhizomes, a horizontal stabilizer, which prevents soil erosion.
The seagrass structure holds the bottom of the ocean in place,protecting it from storm damage and other interference. Its long leaves also trap sediment and fine particles, creating a consistently clear aquatic environment.
Without these plants, our shorelines would degrade and marine species would have difficulty navigating the ocean floor.
Food
Various species rely on seagrass for nourishment. Sea turtles, sea urchins, manatees, seabirds, and others feed on the plant to sustain an adequate diet. Because green sea turtles and manatees appearon the endangered species list, seagrass must continue to thrive to protect these animals’ existence.
Seagrass also supports the food that humans consume. Many shoreline communities rely on seafood to maintain their diet, so sustainable fishing is vital to the protection of this marine plant as well as our food sources.
Habitat
Many aquatic species rely on seagrass as their habitat. In Rhode Island, snail, mussels, young starfish, and other small creatures attach themselves to seagrass leaves and utilize them as a home.
The plant also protects bay scallops, quahogs, lobsters,and blue crabs from deadly predators. Aquatic species may hide in the leaves to camouflage and outsmart their attackers. Seagrass can further protect fish eggs until they hatch. Without this marine plant, the biodiversity of the ocean would suffer.
Water Quality
One of many detrimental effects of climate change is marine heatwaves. These occurrencesdecrease the ocean’s oxygen level, creating depleted regions uninhabitable by aquatic life. For every degree of temperature increase the sea experiences, oxygen levels drops by two percent. To preserve the natural chemistry of the ocean, we must maintain healthy seagrass beds.
Seagrass completes photosynthesis, absorbing blue carbon and producing oxygen. Blue carbon refers to the harmful carbon pollutants produced by residents of coastal regions. When one squaremeter of seagrass filters this toxin, it can generate 10 liters of oxygen.
This marine plant also filters microbial pathogens in the water to protect the health of sea life. Without seagrass, the ocean would remain uninhabitable and not suitable for swimmers.
Help Protect Endangered Seagrass
Theworld loses seven percent of its seagrass annually from rising temperatures and dredging. Humans contribute to these degrading factors, so we hold the power to stop them.
To protect this endangered plant species, we must make some significant lifestyle changes. We can stop the rise of global temperatures by reducing our carbon emissions. Eating less meat, using alternate forms of transportation, purchasing second-hand goods and choosing a conservation-minded offsetting program can reduce your carbon footprint.
We can also reduce dredging by purchasing locally sourced goods. Dredging occurs when companies dig up the ocean floor to allow shipping boats to pass through certain sea regions. This act degrades the ocean floor and clears out seagrass beds. If we purchase local products, we reduce the demand for overseas shipping and preserve the ocean floor.
These may seem like small acts, but their impact on the preservation of endangered seagrass is significant. Talk to your friends and family about shrinking their carbon footprint, buying local goods to protect the ocean and supporting projects that plant and conserve seagrass!
Author Bio:
Jane is the editor-in-chief and founder ofEnvironment.co. She is passionate about helping people understand the importance of sustainability and actionable steps to live a greener lifestyle.