Seagrass Meadows

Seagrass Meadows

News: Scuba divers in Northern Germany are extracting seagrass shoots to replant in barren areas, aiming to combat climate change and revive these ocean carbon sinks.

What are Seagrass Meadows?
• Seagrass meadows are underwater ecosystems formed by seagrasses, which are marine plants found in shallow coastal waters and estuaries.
• Seagrasses are flowering plants with stems and long green, grass-like leaves that produce seeds and pollen and have roots and rhizomes that anchor them in seafloor sand.
• Seagrasses form dense underwater meadows that are among the most productive ecosystems in the world.

Significance:
• They provide habitats and food for a diversity of marine life, including invertebrates, fish, mammals, and birds.
• They also provide refuges for endangered species such as seahorses, turtles, and dugongs.
• Seagrass meadows provide coastal storm protection by absorbing energy from waves as they hit the coast.
• They keep coastal waters healthy by absorbing bacteria and nutrients, and slow the speed of climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide into the sediment of the ocean floor.

Challenges:
• According to “Out of the Blue: The Value of Seagrasses to the Environment and to People” report of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), an estimated 7% of seagrass habitat is being lost worldwide each year.
• Coastal development, increased boating and fishing activities and pollution (runoff of nutrients, chemicals and sediments) are the reasons for decline of seagrass.

Where are seagrasses found in India?
• Abundant seagrasses are found in Palk Strait and Gulf of Munnar in Tamil Nadu.
• Some of the islands in the Gulf of Mannar, such as Kurusadi, Pumarichan, Pullivasal and Thalaiyari, have lush green seagrass beds that support a variety of marine life.
• They are seen in most coastal states.