Did you know that vast "prairies" of grass similar to your lawn live underwater? These plants, known as seagrasses, form complex ecosystems that are very important, not only to the health of their surrounding marine environment but to people as well.

The following web pages are the work of a COSEE Coastal Trends Scientist-Educator Team that conducted research on seagrasses for the University of Virginia at a field station in Oyster, VA during the summer of 2008. Browse the pages of this module to learn more about seagrasses, the trends these plants are experiencing, and what kind of seagrass research scientists are working on. If you are a teacher interested in incorporating seagrass lessons into your science classroom, check out the "Access Classroom Activities" tab. Here you can find a series of activities that meet National Science Education Standards and were created by a teacher with the help of her scientist-educator team.

 


Credits: Dr. Karen McGlathery, Dr. Art Schwarzschild, Laura Reynolds, Kelly Ksiazek, Carissa Wilkerson, Dr. Laura Murray, Dr. Tim Carruthers, Joanna Woerner, Cassie Gurbisz, Dr. Adrian Jones, National Science Foundation, Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research Program

These materials were developed and reviewed by research scientists. These materials were developed and reviewed by teachers.