The seven seagrass species of the Indian River Lagoon
About our seagrasses
Seagrasses are flowering, saltwater plants that live in the shallow areas of an estuarine system. They not only act as a nursery and food source for juvenile fish, shellfish and manatees, but also improve water quality by trapping and removing sediment and nutrients suspended in the water column. Seagrass roots and rhizomes stabilize sediment in the lagoon bed, and established beds help protect shorelines and limit erosion. The drift algae collected within the seagrass is an important component in organism habitat and the collection of nutrients within the lagoon.
Johnson’s seagrass (Halophila johnsonii) is only found in the southern half of the lagoon. Johnson’s seagrass is short, one to two inches long, with paired leaves originating from a single rhizome. It can form dense patches and is found in both shallow and deeper water. (photo courtesy of Lori Morris, St. Johns River Water Management District)
Star grass (Halophila engelmannii) is generally more common in the northern lagoon and grows at a range of depths, sometimes in mixed beds with other species.
Manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme) is found at mid-depths (5-feet) throughout the lagoon and can grow to lengths of 14 inches. It is rarely found in shallow water and is often in mixed beds with other species. Photo by James St. John.
Turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) can be found in the southern half of the lagoon at mid-depths with flat, ribbon-like blades that grow to 14 inches long and ½ inch wide. Thalassia has the highest requirement for light of all the seagrasses in the lagoon and is an excellent indicator of healthy, stable water quality.
Paddle grass (Halophila decipiens) is the only species in the lagoon that is annual where blades are lost in cold weather and reemerge in warm weather. It is generally found in deeper water and is most abundant at the southern end of the lagoon.
Widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) grows in patches in very shallow water (less than 1 foot) and can be found in areas with low salinity.
Search results
Website Accessibility Statement
Sebastian Inlet District (the "District") is committed to ensuring that its services are accessible to all
members of the public. As part of this commitment, the District strives to provide an accessible website compatible with
the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, AA, and commercial screen reading software. Features of the
website are created to allow individuals with vision and other impairments to understand and use the website to the same
degree as someone without disabilities.
If you need any special assistance or accommodations:
Contact our compliance support team via telephone at: (888) 765-1970
Ongoing Compliance Information
Compliance Coordinator
The District has designated a Compliance Coordinator for website disability-related accommodations. The Compliance
Coordinator has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best
practices and requirements.
Compliance Procedures
The District is working to ensure all website content complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act
and controlling State laws. In an ongoing effort to continually improve and remediate accessibility issues,
the website is regularly scanned to ensure ongoing compliance, and timely changes are made to any inaccessible
content if found.
Accessible Documents Policy
The District is committed to providing all documents hosted on the website in an accessible format or making accessible
alternatives available.
Linked Documents and Third Parties
Please note that this site may link out to third-party websites that do not have accessible content. This site may
also include documents provided by third parties. While we cannot control the accessibility of content provided by
third parties, we are happy to assist any member of the public with reading and accessing content on our site.
Report a Website Accessibility Issue
We are committed to your ability to access all content, and we will respond to all requests in a timely manner.
If you need assistance or accommodations while accessing content on this website, please contact our Compliance
Coordinator via the form below: