What is Seagrass?

About Seagrass: 

 

• It is flowering plant that grows submerged in shallow marine waters like bays and lagoons.
• They are so-named because most species have long green, grass-like leaves.
• Seagrasses have roots, stems, and leaves and produce flowers and seeds.
• Like terrestrial plants, seagrass also photosynthesizes and manufactures their own food and releases oxygen.
• They evolved around 100 million years ago, and there are approximately 72 different seagrass species that belong to four major groups.
•  Distribution:
  • They are found on all continents except Antarctica.
  • The tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific hold the highest diversity of seagrasses in the world.
  • They occur all along the coastal areas of India mainly in the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannarin Tamil Nadu.

 

Key facts about Baltic Sea

• It is part of the North Atlantic Ocean, situated in Northern Europe.
• It extends northward from the latitude of southern Denmark almost to the Arctic Circle and separates the Scandinavian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe.
• The Baltic Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Danish Straits.
• It is the largest expanse of brackish water in the world. Its water salinity levels are lower than that of the World Oceans due to the inflow of fresh water from the surrounding land and the sea’s shallowness.
• Bordering Countries: Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Finland and Sweden.
• Major gulfs: The Gulf of Bothnia to the north, the Gulf of Finland to the east, and the Gulf of Riga slightly to the south of that.

 

---

Q) What are straits?

It refers to narrow waterways that connect two larger bodies of water. These water passages are often natural and can be found between two landmasses or islands. Straits are essential for navigation and can play a significant role in international trade and maritime transportation.

 

Source: In Baltic Sea, citizen divers restore seagrass to fight climate change