Sea Grass Protection

On the Intracoastal side of most of our parks there are extensive sea grass beds. The water here tends to be shallow. Sea grass beds are extremely important to our environment. The grasses provide food for birds, fish, and mammmals such as manatees; they provide protection and homes for many creatures such as crabs, fish, and snails; and they provide nurseries for crabs, fish, and snails.

Sea grass beds are also an important indicator of water health. Extensive beds full of fish indicates a healthy environment.

Sea grass beds face many challenges:

    Boat motor cuts and scars
    Blowoats (blown out holes in the ground) caused by personal water craft idling
    Dredging and filling
    Water pollution: sea grass needs sunlight and murky water inhibits this
The main way we protect our sea grass beds is by creating combustion motor exclusion zones. These are areas that are posted with signs similar to the one pictured. Only human powered or electric powered boats are permitted in these areas.

We have three types of sea grasses.

    Turtle grass (thalasia) is thick, flat greenish grass.
    Manatee grass (syringodium) is thin, round-stalked green grass.
    Shoal grass (halodule) is thin, flat greenish strands of grass.