Sea Grass

 
  FHL Marine Botany  ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::   Taxonomy | Habitat | Morphology | Life History | Ecology | Evolution
 

 

Adaptations for Life in Marine Environments

 

Field of dessicating Phyllospadix in low intertidal at Botanical Beach on Vancouver Island, Canada.

Photo by Ken Sebens

Bleaching of Phyllospadix due to dessication at Botanical Beach on Vacouver Island, Canada

 

Evolution

The anatomical and morphological evidence indicates that seagrasses evolved from fresh water ancestors (Arber, 1920).

Adaptations for life in submerged saline environments 

Surf grasses along other seagrasses have the ability to grow completely submerged underwater at all times. Surf grasses have no stomata and do osmoregulation primarily in epidermal cells. Due to the surf grasses extremely thin cuticle, desiccation and bleacing occur rapidly at low tide when plants are exposed to wind and elevated temperatures. The epidermis is the main site of photosynthesis within the leaves. Since surf grass is always submerged it has evolved reduced water conducting systems and anchoring systems that help it withstand wave action. Surf grasses have the ability to perform hydrophilic pollination on the surface of water and in submerged environments.

(Den Hartog, 1970; Larkum, 2006)

 

References

Arber A (1920) Water Plants. Cambridge University Press.
Reprinted 1972 by Verlag Von J. Cramer, Lehre.

Den Hartog C (1970) Seagrasses of the world. North Holland Publ., The Netherlands.


Larkum, Anthony W.D., Orth, Robert J., Duarte, Carlos M. Seagrasses: Biology, Ecology and Conservation. Springer 2006. p.92

Larkum, Anthony W.D., Orth, Robert J., Duarte, Carlos M. Seagrasses: Biology, Ecology and Conservation. Springer 2006.