The Underwater Forests You’ve Never Noticed

We see dozens if not hundreds of different plant species every day, from towering trees to colorful flowers to sturdy shrubs. But how often do we consider underwater plants and the niches they occupy? While it can be easy to overlook submerged aquatic vegetation, one shouldn’t ignore these grasses.

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Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Program

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), also known as seagrass, bay grass or underwater grasses, is critical to the health of aquatic ecosystems. It provides habitat, food and nursery grounds for commercially and recreationally important fish and shellfish and helps improve water quality by trapping sediments, absorbing excess nutrients and mitigating shoreline erosion. [column

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