Seagrass Conservation:
A study in Nature reports that seagrasses are declining at a rate of 1–2% annually, with nearly 5% of species endangered due to human activities, highlighting the need to protect 30% of seagrass by 2030 to preserve biodiversity.
- Seagrasses are submerged, flowering marine aquatic plants that grow in shallow coastal waters such as bays and lagoons.
- They possess small flowers and strap-like or oval leaves, forming dense underwater meadows.
- Seagrasses belong to the order Alismatales and are classified into 4 families with around 60 species.
- Some of the important seagrasses are Sea Cow Grass (Cymodocea serrulata), Thready Seagrass (Cymodocea rotundata), Needle Seagrass (Syringodium isoetifolium), Flat-tipped Seagrass (Halodule uninervis), etc.
- Like terrestrial plants, seagrasses conduct photosynthesis and support marine biodiversity and enhance oceanic oxygen levels.
- Seagrasses reproduce both sexually and asexually.
- In sexual reproduction, submarine pollination transfers male pollen to female flowers underwater. Asexually, they propagate through rhizomes-horizontal underground stems, that enable regeneration after disturbances like grazing or storms.
- Seagrass covers 0.1% of the ocean floor but supports marine life, major fisheries, and thrives in tropical and temperate coastlines.
- India’s seagrass meadows span 516.59 sq km, sequestering 434.9 tonnes of CO₂ per sq km annually, with major concentrations in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, and the Gulf of Kutch.
