Seagrasses are not seaweeds but flowering plants related
to land grasses that can live fully immersed in seawater.
They are found in a few shallow sheltered bays and
estuaries around our coasts.

They have long grass-like leaves that can be over a metre
(3 feet) in length and form vast dense green meadows
under the sea.

Because they grow in the shallows close to the shore they
are very vulnerable to damage by human activities.

• Seagrass beds are home to hundreds of marine animals
  and plants.
• Many fish and shellfish that end up on our plates breed in the
  seagrass beds.
  
• Young fish and animals live and grow amongst the seagrass
  where the dense leaves provide protection from strong currents
  and predators.
• This abundance of life provides a rich food source for larger fish
  and diving birds like grebes.
• Seagrass also helps the environment and improves water quality
  by filtering out pollutants, producing oxygen and absorbing
  carbon dioxide.
• It traps sand and silt making the water clearer and protecting the shoreline from erosion.
  
  Seagrass beds are now quite rare, once they covered large areas around our coasts but they suffered a severe decline in the 1930s due to a 'wasting disease', unfortunately their recovery from this has been very poor. Because of there importance to marine life and coastal processes and their vulnerability seagrass beds are considered of National Importance and are given a Habitat Action Plan in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), South West BAP and the Local BAP "The Nature of Torbay"