seagrass meadows

A florida mantee calf snacks on warm shallow water . bat stars gaze on seagrass but they don't  eat the grass the grass itself! The feed of algae bacteria and other  organisms that cover the grass. most of the plants you see growing  it the ocean  are  actually  supersize  algae called seaweed. but seagrass really are plant complete with root and  stems. They are the only flowering plant that live completely in the ocean. saagrasss take root in muddy seabed close to shore in places where the  water is mostly calm and clear such as  bays and lagoons. They're found in many places around the world  especially in warm  waters but some species also grow in cool water. a species called common eelgrass even grows  in the Arctic Ocean. It can survive being under ice for several  months each year. A seagrass bed is an importentant habitat for many kinds of organisms. Algae  grows on blades of seagrass  and bacteria sponges and other organisms live on them too. Snails sea urchins and other animals visit to eat there organisms and these predators  in turn are preyed  upon by sea stars crabs fish octopuses and other creatures . Late animals the eat seagrass include green sea turtles some  species of ducks and geese and ocean mammals such as dugongs and manatees. when seagrass dies it consumed by bacteria  worms crabs and other animals. many animals use seagrass beds for shelter. The stems protect them from rough  wave and also provide places to hide from predators seagrass bed are often called nurseries because so many fish shellfish  and other animals grow up in them just one are (0.4 ha) of seagrass my be home to up to 40,000 fish and 50 million invertebrates such as snails. Seagrasses spread by growing special seem called rhizomes under the seafloor root and shoot sprout at various points along the rhizome to form new clumps of seagrass Seagrass also produce seeds To make seeds flowers must receive a dose of a substance called pollen usually from another plant of its own species on land bess and other animals often carry pollen from flower to flower The wind  also spreads pollen. Seagrass pollen travels to seagrass flowers by drifting in the water. drifting in the  water. Seagrass seeds travel this way too.