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1. Sea grass beds physically help
♤ to reduce wave and current energy,
♤ to filter suspended sediments from the water and
♤ stabilise bottom sediments to control erosion.
2. Provides habitat for marine invertebrates and fishes.
3. Seagrass beds are widespread in lagoon & in such areas, the population of fish and migratory birds are also higher due to the availability of food and shelter.
4. Sea grasses on reef flats and near estuaries are also nutrient sinks, buffering or filtering nutrient and chemical inputs to the marine environment.
Do you know?
The five species of turtle that nest on Indian coast are Leatherback sea turtle, Green turtle, the Olive Ridley, the Hawksbill, and the Loggerhead turtle.
♤ IUCN has accorded high priority for the conservation of sea grass.
♤ Out of 58 species found in the world, Fourteen species of seagrasses have been recorded from Indian coast.
♤ They are commonly distributed from inter-tidal to sub-tidal region down to 8 m depth.
♤ Dugong, a mammal dependent on sea grass for food, is also on the verge of extinction.