Seagrasses are NOT algae!

Seagrass: Algae:

• They have strong roots to anchor themselves to the bottom and absorb nutrients.

• They perform photosynthesis through their leaves.

• Reproduce through flowers, fruits and seeds.

• They have rhizoids, or a holdfast, that anchors them to the substrate, but it does NOT absorb nutrients.

• All cells of the organism are capable of performing photosynthesis.

• They reproduce through spores.

Seagrasses are frequently mistaken for algae since they’re both green, photosynthesize and live under the sea.

*Note: algae are commonly referred to as seaweeds.*

However, there are several clear differences between seagrasses and seaweed, some of which are men oned below:

* Although some parts of seagrasses and algae can look similar, they are physiologically different; that is to say, they fulfill different func ons for each organism. For instance, seagrasses have roots that anchor them to the ground, but which also have a fundamental func on of absorbing and transpor ng nutrients to the plant. The algae, on the other hand, anchor themselves to the ground with a holdfast or rhizoid, which look similar to seagrass roots but which serve no func on other than a achment. All of the surface area of algae absorb nutrients through a process called diffusion (the flow of molecules through a permeable membrane without an external source of energy). Similarly, the pedicel and laminae of algae look similar to the leaves and laminae of algae, but do not have similar func ons. Furthermore, seagrasses have flowers, fruits and seeds while algae does not.

What are seagrass meadows?

Seagrass meadows are an ecosystem formed primarily of seagrasses distributed across wide expanses of the seafloor.

• When seagrasses cover a large expanse of the sea floor, they form what is known as a seagrass meadow.

• Seagrass meadows can be composed of one or several species of seagrass, and there is an abundant and diverse biota (variety of species) associated with these meadows.