Seagrass Bed (Biotic Group)

Component: Biotic

Unique Identifier: 567

Biotic Setting	Benthic/Attached Biota
Biotic Class	Aquatic Vegetation Bed
Biotic Subclass	Aquatic Vascular Vegetation
Biotic Group	Seagrass Bed
Biotic Community	Ruppia maritima Herbaceous Vegetation Syringodium filiformis - (Thalassia testudinum) Herbaceous Vegetation Halodule wrightii Herbaceous Vegetation Halophila decipiens Herbaceous Vegetation [Provisional] Halophila engelmannii Herbaceous Vegetation Halophila hawaiiana Herbaceous Vegetation [Provisional] Halophila johnsonii Herbaceous Vegetation [Provisional] Halophila minor Herbaceous Vegetation [Provisional] Halophila ovalis Herbaceous Vegetation [Provisional] Phyllospadix scouleri Herbaceous Vegetation [Provisional] Phyllospadix serrultus Herbaceous Vegetation[Provisional] Phyllospadix torreyi Herbaceous Vegetation [Provisional] Thalassia testudinum - Syringodium filiformis Herbaceous Vegetation Thalassia testudinum Herbaceous Vegetation Vallisneria americana Estuarine Bayou Herbaceous Vegetation Zostera marina Herbaceous Vegetation

Description

Definition

Tidal aquatic vegetation beds dominated by any number of seagrass or eelgrass species, including Cymocedea sp., Halodule sp., Thalassia sp., Halophilla sp., Vallisnera sp., Ruppia sp., Phyllospadix sp., and Zostera sp. Seagrass beds (Figure 8.15) may occur in true marine salinities, and they may extend into the lower salinity zones of estuaries.

Seagrass beds are complex structural habitats that provide refuge and foraging opportunities for abundant and diverse faunal communities in shallow waters. Seagrass beds require a specific set of ecological conditions for success, and they are generally perceived as areas of high environmental quality.

The list of biotic communities for this group is long: a few examples are provided below, and the complete list is available in Appendix F.