April 2024
Seagrasses are flowering marine plants that grow in shallow, clear waters where they stabilise sand and prevent coastal erosion. Belonging to five families with around 60 species worldwide, Mauritius hosts five common species that form vital habitats along its coasts.
A family portrait
Seagrasses are similar to land plants but have fully adapted to marine life. They possess roots, leaves, and even flowers for reproduction, and are therefore known as marine angiosperms. They require sandy substrates for growth and sufficient light for photosynthesis, which is why they are mostly found at depths shallower than 20 metres. A seagrass bed stabilises the sand and helps control sediment movement within the lagoon, thereby preventing beach erosion by trapping mobile sediments.
Seagrasses belong to the domain Eukarya and the kingdom Plantae. There are five distinct families and about 60 known species worldwide. In Mauritius, five species of seagrasses are commonly found along the coast:
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The seagrass species found in Mauritius belong to two main families:
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Family Cymodoceaceae
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Halodule sp.
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Thalassodendron ciliatum
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Syringodium isoetifolium
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Family Hydrocharitaceae
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Halophila ovalis
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Halophila stipulacea
