Seagrass

Subject: Environment

Context:

The UN environmental programme has released a report warning that fishing trawlers, seaweed farming, and tourism off the coast of Kenya is threatening the survival of seagrasses

Concept:

• Seagrasses are flowering marine plants that have adapted to survive in marine conditions. They are mostly found in shallow sandy bottom habitats and can form dense extensive meadows.
• There are about 72 seagrass species distributed across the world’s temperate and tropical oceans.
• These meadows trap sediment, absorb nutrients and give us clear waters.
• They are a source of food, shelter and nursery areas for many organisms, including commercially important fish.
• This means that they provide food security for coastal communities by supporting artisanal fisheries and are an integral part of coastal livelihoods. They also support a number of endangered species such as dugongs, sea turtles and sea horses.
• Seagrass meadows are also important carbon sinks, capable of trapping carbon from the atmosphere 40 times faster than tropical rainforests and storing it for hundreds of years.