What Is Sea Grass Good For?
Sea grass can be found growing wild in many coastal regions; Florida alone is home to almost 40 different species of the tall ornamental. These grasses are versatile, growing both in the water and on the shoreline where the soil is too wet for other plants to thrive. When grown in the home landscape, sea grasses can help secure soil at the edge of the water and attract wildlife such as birds. Does this Spark an idea?
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Habitat
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Sea grass provides much needed shelter for many animals. Sea grass grows both on the shore and in the water, and it provides a safe haven for many different species. When planted in a backyard pond, the grasses become a home for small fish, crabs, turtles and organisms from crustaceans to microscopic creatures. Sea grass also provides protection for young fish and animals, helping to keep them safe from predators while they mature into adults.
The grass on the shoreline also provides home and food for creatures. Birds, frogs and turtles can all be found among an established sea grass colony, which can also be home to ground-nesting birds such as ducks.
Water Clarity
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A clear pond is healthier than a cloudy one. Sea grass acts as a filter to trap loose particles that would otherwise impact water clarity. Sediment from the bottom of the pond is trapped in the roots of the plants instead of being stirred up by movement in the water or disturbance from fish and other creatures. Algae is also collected along the plants.
This helps to keep the water clear, which is an important part of a thriving pond ecosystem. The clearer the water is, the more sunlight reaches the plants along the bottom. This allows them to grow thicker and fuller.
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Soil Stability
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Clumps of sea grasses have interconnected roots that help stabilize the shore. Currents and runoff from rain can erode and change the shoreline of oceans and ponds alike. Sea grass planted along the shore helps to prevent this, by stabilizing the shoreline with its roots. Sandy soil bound up in a plant's roots is more secure than the soil by itself, and this helps to keep shorelines from shifting.
Sea grass roots are particularly well-suited to this, as they do not have the typical single group of down-growing roots. Most sea grasses are connected by thick horizontal roots that run the length of a clump of grasses.
Oxygen and Nutrients
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Sea grasses replenish the water and the soil. Underwater sea grass meadows function in a way similar to the land's rain forest. There are basic life processes -- such as photosynthesis -- that plants perform to survive. When sea grasses perform photosynthesis, the oxygen and other byproducts get released back into the water to replenish the content of the water. Many home fish tanks require filters and aerators to replace the water's oxygen content to keep the level at a place where fish and other creatures can thrive; sea grass works in a similar way.
Even in death, sea grasses have a beneficial impact on the ecosystem of a backyard pond. Once the leaves and grasses are returned to the soil, this increases the nutrient content for the next generation of water-based plants.
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