Seagrass Bed Ecosystem

The seagrass bed ecosystem is distributed across temperate and tropical marine areas around the world. They are similar to coral reefs in that they act as refuges and feeding grounds for aquatic life and serve as nurseries for their young. Yet, because seagrasses are plants and not animals like corals, they engineer their ecosystem in a much different way. Once the seed germinates, it sends its root system or rhizome out horizontally, binding sediment particles in place, this way creating micro-habitats for other organisms. As a general rule, the organisms that make their living in seagrass beds have the ability to either burrow in sand, live in narrow spaces in between, or on seagrass leaves (epiphytes and epizoa). The leaves look like grass blades extending vertically up from the root.

There are about 70 different species of seagrass worldwide, with the most diverse seagrass assemblages found in the Indo-Pacific. In Qatar we find four species that are highly adapted to the extreme salinity of the Gulf: the Narrow Leaf Seagrass Halodule uninervis, the Oval Leaf Seagrass Halophila ovalis, the Broad Leaf Seagrass Halophila stipulacea and the Turtle Seagrass Thalassia testudinium. Other members of the community include crabs, polychaete worms, black sea cucumbers, pen shells, pearl oysters, sea horses, and of course an assortment of fish. Maybe the most magnificent visitors of seagrass beds are the green turtles and dugongs. This ecosystem is essential for their sustenance since seagrasses are the major nutritional source of their diet.

Other Information

Published in: Qatar Marine Ecosystem lesson plans
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
See educational resource on publisher's website: https://www.earthna.qa/publications/educational-materials/qatar-marine-ecosystem-lesson-plans

Project Identifier (PI): EEF-2023-003