Eelgrass

At a glance

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is an IUCN Least Concern seagrasses with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.

Confirmed by 5,247 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and California the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Despite living fully submerged, it is a true flowering plant that releases pollen into water currents.
• Eelgrass beds serve as nursery habitat for dozens of fish species, including Pacific herring.
• Leaves can reach up to 1 meter long in calm, nutrient-rich coastal waters.
• Seagrass meadows capture and store carbon at rates comparable to some terrestrial forests.
• Brant geese migrate thousands of miles each winter to feed on eelgrass beds along the Pacific Coast.

Where Eelgrass are seen

• Nova Scotia1,618 iNat obs
• British Columbia934 iNat obs
• California845 iNat obs
• Washington638 iNat obs
• New Brunswick230 iNat obs
• Massachusetts221 iNat obs

Jurisdictions with rules for Eelgrass

• CaliforniaUnited States · official source

Background

Zostera marina is a species of seagrass known by the common names common eelgrass and seawrack. It is an aquatic plant native to marine environments on the coastlines of mostly northern sections of North America and Eurasia.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Eelgrass article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.