Seagrass Meadow 360

Seagrasses don’t get enough love, but they’re really, really, super important. Follow us on a 360 tour of a typical seagrass meadow to find out why. Watch the video, use the field guide and take the quiz to identify three things you might encounter in an Everglades seagrass meadow. Good luck!

Tag #1: Identify the plant, animal or feature

Tag #2: Identify the plant, animal or feature

Tag #3: Identify the plant, animal or feature

The coastal Everglades, including Florida Bay, have some of the largest seagrass meadows on the planet. Unfortunately, due to human impact and poor water quality, we have lost thousands of acres of seagrass.

Seagrasses are actually flowering plants that require clear water. Why, you might ask? Because without clear water, these plants are unable to collect enough light in order to photosynthesize and grow.

Seagrass meadows are found in clear, shallow coastal waters around the world, but Florida Bay has one of the largest expanses of seagrass on the planet.

Seagrasses might not sound all that exciting, and they don’t get enough attention. The truth is, they are critically important. Seagrasses maintain water quality, they prevent erosion, create oxygen, and are important nursery grounds for countless marine species.

We’ll be exploring the seagrass habitat and you’ll be looking for three things to identify. Watch for this symbol and listen for this sound, and then use the field guide found here to identify those three things. Here we go!

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