Zostera marina

Eelgrass

Authority: Linnaeus

Leaves are up to 2 m (6.6 ft) long (usually much shorter in Alaska) and 0.15-1.2 cm (0.06-0.5 in) wide. The rhizome is brown and constricted at its nodes, which have many hair-like roots.

Habitat

This species usually grows in mud, sand or gravel, in moderately to fully sheltered areas, from mid intertidal tidepools into the subtidal. This species provides prime spawning habitat for Pacific herring. Izembek Lagoon, near Bristol Bay, is the largest eelgrass bed in the world.