Anthophyta

Seagrasses are photosynthetic flowering plant that are true seed-producing plants, but they are not true grasses. The basic structural components of seagrasses include rhizomes, which produce roots at intervals known as nodes, and long, ribbonlike leaves, which branch alternately in two rows down the main stem. The flowers are inconspicuous and are often aggregated into spike-like structures at the base of leaf clusters or arranged along elongated shoots. Reproductive success is assured by pollen being released in gelatinous strands that are carried by water currents to female flowers.

Seagrasses are regarded as highly productive and ecologically valuable organisms. They grow very fast during spring and summer and provide a high caloric, proteinrich diet for animals that eat plants and organic material. Seagrass beds provide habitat for diverse groups of invertebrates, seaweeds, forage fish, waterfowl, and shorebirds, rivaling many other habitat types. There are two main types of seagrasses found in Alaska: surfgrass, commonly associated with exposed rocky beaches, and eelgrass, which inhabits protected, soft sediments.