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For the Love Of Nature, Art and Bad Humor
A Comic Gallery of Creative Expression in the Pursuit of Knowledge
Eelgrass
Tapegrass, Wild Celery, “Tickly-ew grass”
Vallisneria americana
The most common, native freshwater seagrass
found in Florida. It lives, breeds, tickles our feet and
then dies all underwater.
While some might find the feet tickling
annoying while swimming, it is a super key species
in our aquatic ecosystems.
Seriously, like, everything needs eelgrass.
Our Florida economy needs eelgrass.
The whole life circle that supports you know…life...needs eelgrass. Even if you don’t know what the heck eelgrass is - you need eelgrass.
Eelgrass filters water, produces oxygen,
stores carbon and takes up nutrients all while
capturing sediments that degrade water quality.
AND it provides food, habitat and
protection for fish and animals.
Eelgrass is vital to the food chain.
Invertebrates live in the grass. Amphibians, reptiles,
fish and waterfowl eat those invertebrates
(and each other) around the grass.
When the grass dies the decomposition by bacteria
and fungi feeds the invertebrates which then feeds
the rest of the food web again.
Oh, and endangered species like the beloved
manatee eat eelgrass too. Again, everything in the aquatic ecosystem either eats eelgrass or eats species
that eat eelgrass.
Which eventually extends to the rest of the grand broader, global food chain buffet in which everything is connected.
But the buffet can get rudely interrupted.
Like when excess nutrients from agriculture,
septic tanks and urban runoff shows up.
The excess nitrogen and phosphorus we introduce
to the water increases native algae growth and promotes the growth of invasive, harmful algae which then together covers the grass with thick globs of green goop.
The algae goop reduces water clarity and slows down
the growth and productivity of the grass. Which is bad news for all the organisms connected in the eelgrass food chain.
And bad news for commercial and recreational
fishing, tourism, our economy, the health of our aquatic environment and eventually, our health. It’s all connected.
It is true for food chains and economy chains...
taking anything out of the chain breaks the chain.
Even eelgrass. Be nice to eelgrass. Even if it tickles.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallisneria_americana
https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/vallisneria-americana/
https://myfwc.com/research/habitat/freshwater-plants/vallisneria/
Special thanks to Jay Exum, Ph.D. Wildlife Ecology for his expert fact checking!
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