OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

Eelgrass is a special kind of grass that grows completely underwater in the ocean! It is one of the only flowering plants that lives its whole life beneath the waves. It has long, thin, ribbon-like leaves that wave gently back and forth, making the sea floor look like a beautiful underwater meadow.

Unlike seaweed, eelgrass has real roots that grow down into the sandy bottom, just like the grass in your backyard. Its leaves can grow up to four feet long! It even makes tiny flowers and seeds underwater, which is pretty amazing.

• Eelgrass meadows are like underwater neighborhoods where baby fish, crabs, shrimp, and even tiny seahorses come to hide and grow up.
• Eelgrass helps keep the ocean water clean by trapping bits of dirt with its leaves.
• It can even slow down big waves before they reach the shore, protecting the coast from storms!