Story: Estuaries

Seagrass

Seagrass

Seagrass is the only flowering plant that lives in the sea. Around New Zealand Zostera capricorni is found growing on intertidal and subtidal mudflats, where beds of the grass help stabilise sediment and provide shelter for juvenile fish. The extent of seagrass cover has declined considerably in some estuaries since the 1940s.

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NIWA – National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Photograph by Malcolm Francis

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How to cite this page:

Maggy Wassilieff, 'Estuaries - Plants of the estuary', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/4624/seagrass (accessed 19 April 2024)

Story by Maggy Wassilieff, published 12 Jun 2006