Like other grasses, to which they are not closely related, seagrasses are monocots, the smaller and simpler group of flowering plants. The seagrass Thalassia testudinum is commonly known as "turtle grass" because in some areas like the Caribbean, green sea turtles eat it almost exclusively. Johnson’s seagrass has paired leaves originating from a single rhizome node. Crustaceans like crabs, crayfish and lobsters eat seaweed, as do plankton and humans. An animal that eats plants is called herbivore. Sea grass is a producer. Like land plants, seagrass produce oxygen. Other animals derive nutrition from eating algae and small animals that live upon seagrass leaves. Light is required for the plants to make food through photosynthesis. An animal that eats both meat and plants is an omnivore. Many ecologically and economically important species are dependent on seagrass beds during juvenile phases. The canopy of seagrass protects smaller marine animals, including the young of such species as drums, sea bass, snappers and grunts, from larger predators. (2012) identified many of the major threats to seagrass communities. For example, you may dine on a lobster that ate a mingle that ingested seaweed. This seagrass was added to the list of threatened species under the Endangered Species Act on September 14, 1998. Habitat: Seagrass beds are important habitat for adult organisms, vital in the life cycles of some species, and active hunting grounds for other species. No seaweed species is known to be poisonous. If you have a look at a food web it will show you what eats sea grass and the exact definition of a producer. In the marine food chain, animals eat seaweed, predators eat those animals and people eat the predators. Some animals, such as manatees, urchins, conches and sea turtles, eat seagrass blades. Of the threats assessed, industrial and agricultural run-off, coastal infrastructure development, and dredging were determined to have the greatests impacts on seagrasses globally. An animal that eats animals exclusively is called a carnivore. Seagrass is a fairly recent evolutionary innovation, having evolved from saltwater-tolerant land plants, especially mangroves, which are believed to be its immediate ancestor. Adults of many species hunt in seagrass beds, including snappers, groupers, and sharks. Measuring 0.04-0.12 inches (1-3 mm) wide and 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) in length, the blades are light green with a brown midrib and veins. Many of these large grazers are endangered, in large part because of habitat destruction and hunting, but once they were very common. Sponges contain spicules (glass-like spines) and toxins which the hawksbills immune to, making less competition for this food source. By combining the knowledge of several seagrass experts, Grech et al. Of the 60 species of seagrass … Because seaweed "eats" by converting sunlight into energy, it must live high enough in the ocean to receive sun rays. For example, an adult dugong eats about 64 to 88 pounds (28 to 40 kg) of seagrass a day, while an adult green sea turtle can eat about 4.5 pounds (2 kg) per day. Manatees eat seagrass. The depth at which seagrass are found is limited by water clarity, which determines the amount of light reaching the plant. There are roughly 1,500 species of green seaweed, 6,500 species of red seaweed and 1,800 species of brown seaweed in the world today.
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