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Eelgrass
Zostera marina
North Pacific Distribution:
Chukchi Sea coast of Alaska to Baja California, Mexico; Korea; Japan; Russia.
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Former Scientific Names:
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Description:
Leaves are up to 2 m (6.6’) long (usually much shorter in Alaska) and 0.15-1.2 cm (0.06-0.5 in) wide. The rhizome is brown and constricted at its nodes, which have many hair-like roots. Habitat: This species usually grows in mud, sand or gravel, in moderately to fully sheltered areas, from mid intertidal tidepools into the subtidal. This species provides prime spawning habitat for Pacific herring. Izembek Lagoon, near Bristol Bay, is the largest eelgrass bed in the world. Similar taxa: Phyllospadix spp. are attached to rock, usually bedrock.
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