Facts
| Last Updated: 21 September 2011 | ||
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| What is Seagrass? | ||
Seagrass is a marine angiosperm (flowering plant) that grows in tidal and subtidal areas. There are hundreds of species of segrasses globally, eight of which are found in Moreton Bay. |
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Seagrass health is crucial to the functionality of marine ecosystems. Not only does it have a very high rate of primary productivity but it also plays a role in the life cycles of any marine species. Seagrass is the predominant food source for Dugongs (Dugong dugon) and also Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas). Furthermore many prawn species and other crusteaceans spend a great deal of their life in seagrass. |
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| What are the Species? | ||
| Zostera capricorni | ||
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| � intertidal / subtidal to 6m (QLD) � monospecific / mixed meadows � simple leaf � leaves flat, leaf tip rounded � leaves 2-5mm wide, 3-50cm long � rhizomes light to dark brown � cross veins in leaf clearly visible |
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| Halodule uninervis | ||
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� intertidal / subtidal to 10m (QLD) |
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| Halophila ovalis | ||
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| � intertidal / subtidal to 48m (QLD) � monospecific /mixed meadows � simple leaf � leaves flat � leaves 0.5-2.0cm wide, 1-4cm long � rhizomes thin, white to yellow colour |
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| Cymodocea serrulata | ||
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| � subtidal to 15m (QLD) � mostly monospecific meadows � simple leaf � leaves flat, leaf tip serrated � leaves 4-9mm wide, <20cm long � rhizomes robust |
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| Syringodium isoetifolium | ||
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| � subtidal to 10m (QLD) � mostly monospecific meadows � simple leaf � leaves cylindrical,leaf tip tapers to point � leaves 1-2mm diameter, 10-30cm long � rhizomes fleshy white |
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| Halophila spinulosa | ||
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| � subtidal to 44m (QLD) � monospecific / mixed meadows � compound leaf � leaves flat, serrated � 5-20 serrated leaf pairs � rhizomes thin, light to pink colour |
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| Halophila minor | ||
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| � unstable sandbanks and in canals (SE QLD) � simple leaves in pairs on stalk � leaves flat, round and smooth edges � leaves 1.5-3 mm wide, 6-8mm long |
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| Halophila decipiens | ||
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| � in depths 8m turbid water southern Moreton Bay(QLD) � simple leaves in pairs on stalk � leaves flat, eliptical and microscopic serrations on edge � leaves 8mm wide, 30mm long |
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 King Island Conservation Park (Wellington Point) - Coral and Seagrass |
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| Geology of Wellington Point |
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| Seagrass and Carbon |
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| Assessing the quality of data collected by community |
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Sourced from the Centre for Marine Studies, Marine Botany Library, the Univeristy of Queensland (click here for webpage) Davie. P et al., 2011, Wild Guide to Moreton Bay and adjacent coasts. New Edition. Volume One, Queensland Museum Download the factsheet from the Marine Studies Website (.pdf 704kb) |
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