Seagrass beds
One of the major marine habitats in Belize are the vast seagrass beds, substrate and cover for countless millions of organisms and food for manatee, turtles and more. The importance of these "prairies" underwater are often overlooked by developers, fishermen and conservationists. If you get a chance to snorkel over these grassbeds, go real slow and look real close, you will be amazed at the amount of life ... oh, and you might not want to touch the grass blades with sensitive areas on your body (arms, chest, thighs, etc.) because the blades are covered with cnidarians, creatures whose sting can pack a whallop, especially if you have an allergic reaction to the poison... This is where I find sea horses...
Several different species of plants, representing at least four distinct families, are collectively known as the seagrasses. When the conditions are just right, seagrasses can densely cover the sea floor, creating an ecosystem known as the seagrass meadow or seagrass bed.
Seagrass beds form an important nursery habitat for several species of fishes and invertebrates, and are also important feeding grounds for herbivorous grazers, like green turtles, manatees, etc., and for foraging omnivores that may feed on invertebrates and other animals that live amongst the plants.
Pollution, destructive fishing practices, and direct physical disturbance threaten seagrass beds around the world, and scientists estimate that as much as 50% of the total area covered by seagrasses has been lost in the last few decades. This represents an incredible loss of coastal, marine habitat.
Photograph by Tony Rath
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