Significance

• Seagrass on a beach.seagrass on ventry beach image by Joe Houghton from Fotolia.com
  
  One acre of seagrass can produce 10 tons of leaves in one year, according to the Smithsonian. These leaves provide food and habitant for a wide range of aquatic animals. That one acre can support up to 40,000 fish and 50 million small invertebrates, providing an environment for the animals to reproduce, grow and thrive. One acre of a seagrass bed is a thriving underwater community vital to the health of the ocean.
  
  

Function

• Belize is a country that greatly benefits from seagrass beds.drapeau du belize image by Charly from Fotolia.com
  
  On the sea floor there are dark patches, which on first examination have no function. Those dark patches are seagrass beds, whose roots help to stabilize the sediment on the sea bottom. According to Reef Briefs, discussing seagrass in Belize, this sediment is protected and filtered by the seagrass beds, thus providing an environment that is ripe for sealife.
  
  

Geography

• Seagrass beds exist all over the earth.globe terrestre image by Nicolas D from Fotolia.com
  
  Seagrass beds are found world-wide in shallow saltwater, normally saltwater that is protected, such as a bay. As an article in Reuters points out, seagrass beds, or meadows as the article calls them, are a critical habitat for marine life and a source of money for the fishing industry. Referencing a study, the article states that across the globe 58 percent of seagrass beds are in decline, and the annual loss is up to 7 percent.
  
  

Size

• Seagrass beds are found throughout the coastal waters of Florida.Florida state contour with Capital City against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
  
  The Florida Department of Environmental Protection describes the seagrass beds in that state as covering approximately 502,000 acres. They are present in all the coastal areas of Florida but are most prevalent from Tarpon Springs to Apalachee Bay. In Florida this acreage is located in protected bays and lagoons, along with the continental shelf located in the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast of Florida.
  
  

Varieties

• According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, there are about 52 species of seagrass in the world. Of those, seven are found in the waters surrounding the state of Florida. One of those species found in Florida is turtle-grass, the most common and known for its deep root system. Other varieties found in Florida are manatee-grass, widgeon-grass, shoal-grass, paddle-grass, star-grass, and Johnson's grass.