Zonation

These five types of seagrass are vertically distributed along the coast, from the shallowest waters (nearshore) to the deepest (farthest from shore). The following figure shows the zonation for the four most common species in Puerto Rico.

• Shoal grass is most commonly found in the shallowest areas that have freshwater influx.

• Turtle and manatee grass grow in areas a bit deeper than shoal grass.

• Paddle grass is the species that grows in the deepest part of the shore, up to depths of approx. 50 m (165 feet).

• In general, seagrass in Puerto Rico have a ver cal zona on, on a gradient from shallower to deeper. However, this zona on is not strict (it doesn’t always occur in this pa ern).

• The figure shows the typical zona on of the four most common seagrass species in Puerto Rico.

• Widgeon grass develops where there’s a confluence of freshwater with seawater.