Main Title |
Seagrass Communities of the Gulf Coast of Florida: Status and Ecology. |
Author |
Dawes, C. J. ;
Phillips, R. C. ;
Morrison, G. ;
|
CORP Author |
University of South Florida, Tampa. ;Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Sevastopol (USSR). ;Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, Tampa, FL. |
Publisher |
Aug 2004 |
Year Published |
2004 |
Stock Number |
PB2005-104727 |
Additional Subjects |
Sea grasses ;
Gulf Coast ;
Florida ;
Ecology ;
Marine biology ;
Fisheries ;
Biological communities ;
Aquatic plants ;
Biodiversity ;
Habitats ;
Production ;
Invertebrates ;
Environmental impacts ;
State government ;
Local government ;
|
Holdings |
Library |
Call Number |
Additional Info |
Location |
Last Modified |
Checkout Status |
NTIS |
PB2005-104727 |
Some EPA libraries have a fiche copy filed under the call number shown. |
|
07/26/2022 |
|
Collation |
84p |
Abstract |
The waters along Florida's Gulf of Mexico coastline, which stretches from the tropical Florida Keys in the south to the temperate Panhandle in the north, contain the most extensive and diverse seagrass meadows in the United States. Seagrass meadows rival or exceed most kinds of agriculture in their productivity and also provide unique aesthetic and recreational opportunities. The importance of seagrasses as food, shelter, and essential nursery habitats for commercial- and recreational-fishery species and for the many other organisms that live and feed in seagrass beds is well known. A single acre of seagrass can produce over 10 tons of leaves per year and can support as many as 40 thousand fish and 50 million invertebrates. This high level of production and biodiversity has led to the view that seagrass communities are the marine equivalent of tropical rainforests. |