# Eelgrass (*Zostera marina*) Eelgrass is a special underwater plant that grows in the ocean. It provides homes for fish and helps keep the water clean and healthy. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Eelgrass](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Zostera_marina.jpeg&width=800) Photo: Kristian Peters -- Fabelfroh 09:28, 16 September 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zostera_marina.jpeg) ## Appearance The Eelgrass has long, bright green, ribbon-like leaves that form dense underwater meadows. Its thin, flowing blades make it look distinct from stiff seaweeds, swaying gracefully with ocean currents and often appearing as a lush green carpet. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Alismatales - **Family:** Zosteraceae - **Genus:** Zostera ## Interesting facts - Eelgrass meadows are incredible carbon sinks, storing more CO2 than tropical rainforests! - It's a true underwater flowering plant, making it unique among ocean flora! - Some coastal communities historically wove dried eelgrass into roofs for insulation and building homes. - Tiny marine snails graze on the film of microscopic life that grows on eelgrass blades. ## Special abilities - **Ocean's Lung:** Eelgrass can photosynthesize underwater, releasing vital oxygen into the ocean for marine life to breathe. - **Rooted Anchor:** Eelgrass has strong underground rhizomes that firmly anchor it, preventing erosion and keeping it rooted in shifting sands. - **Wave Buffer:** Eelgrass meadows can absorb wave energy, protecting coastlines from storms and reducing erosion. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 50-200 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Water ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Green Sea Turtle (*Chelonia mydas*) — important food source - **Shelter:** [Pacific Herring](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pacific-herring) (*Clupea pallasii*) — lays eggs on blades - **Shelter:** [Dungeness Crab](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dungeness-crab) (*Cancer magister*) — juveniles hide in beds - **Shelter:** [Harbor Seal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/harbor-seal) (*Phoca vitulina*) — foraging and resting habitat ## Traits - [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. - [Threatened](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/threatened): Threatened status denotes a species likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future without effective conservation interventions. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always be careful when swimming near plants in the water; they can be slippery. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Eelgrass? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Eelgrass? 50-200 cm ### When does Eelgrass bloom? Summer ### Is Eelgrass edible? Yes ### Is Eelgrass toxic? None ### What is Eelgrass's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Eelgrass pollinated? Water ### Where is Eelgrass usually found? Coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Gulf of Morbihan Regional Nature Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gulf-of-morbihan-regional-nature-park) — Bretagne, FR · Park - [Hallyeohaesang National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hallyeohaesang-national-park) — KR · Park ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Eelgrass: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eelgrass)