SHOAL
GRASS
Meet Halodule wrightii, aka Shoal grass! If you’ve gone for a stroll down the beach, fishing in the bay, or just staring out the window while driving along Hwy 98 you’ve probably seen some Shoal grass.
Growing in shallow water, and in rough areas that other sea grass species can’t tolerate. You can tell its Shoal grass if the blades are flat and narrow. The max lengths that they can grow to are between 4 to 6 inches and widths of 0.08 to 0.11 inches. This sea grass is the most abundant can be seen throughout the Franklin-98 project area.
Next time you get to spy some of this hardworking grass take a closer look, you might be surprised how many critters you see running around in there! Let us know many critters you find!
Say hello to Syringodium filiforme, or more commonly known as Manatee grass! Spotting manatee grass is a bit tricky as it likes deeper water (growing at depths up to 60ft).
Manatee grass has a pretty unique shape as it looks like spiral corkscrew ! Growing up to 20” with a slight spiral and a round leaf manatee grass stands out from other sea grass’s in the bay! Manatee grass likes to grow in sand beds that are rich in organic material - kind of like what’s found in the Yent Bayou area. Their roots extend about 6-8” down into the seabed and spread laterally which means they are excellent at stabilizing sediments and preventing erosion. Manatee grass prefers saltier waters but when it needs to it can venture into brackish areas.
Keep an out of for bobbing manatees if you happen to notice this cylindrical seagrass while out swimming, fishing or taking in the bay on paddle craft in deeper waters (5 ft +).
As you may have guessed, it is a favorite food for these charismatic cuties!
MANATEE
GRASS
Another sea grass species to look out for is Turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum). This species is harder to spot than most of the other Apalachicola Bay species like shoal grass, manatee grass, or even stargrass. This is because turtle grass likes to grow in deeper water - typically from the low tide mark down to 98ft! Most people will only see turtle grass after a storm washes it up on the shoreline. So far, our team has only been able to spot it washed up on shore.
When it comes to identification, Turtle grass is the easiest! It grows up to a foot long and its leaf is just a bit shy of an inch wide. It’s also pretty big compared to the other sea grass species. Usually, turtle grass grows in sheltered areas like bays or lagoons since excessive wave action can inhibit it’s growth. Turtle grass grows best and deepest where turbidity is lowest (aka where water is clearest). Also, you probably guessed it, turtle grass is a favorite food of sea turtles!
Say hi to one of the more elusive sea grass species in the bay, Halophila engelmannii, aka star grass! Our team has found star grass sporadically in some deeper spots around the Franklin-98 project area, usually between Yent Bayou and Carrabelle beach Star grass is quite capable of staying out of site from most people because it is tolerant of cooler temperatures and grows at depths up to 45 ft! Thevaries between 4-8 and they typically grow only 1-2” high. This feature helps it keep a low profile – so let us know happen across it!
TURTLE
GRASS
STAR
GRASS
This seagrass is not a true seagrass species at all – it’s actually a salt-tolerant freshwater plant! It’s scientific name is Ruppia maritima but it goes by many common names including beaked tasselweed, ditch grass, and tassel pondweed. However, it’s most commonly referred to as widgeon grass and it is one of the trickiest species to identify in the Franklin-98 area. Our team hasn’t been able to spot widgeon grass in the project area yet. What makes widgeon grass tricky to identify is that it looks very similar to flowering shoal grass . Shoal grass usually flowers sometime in May to August, but it is extremely rare to see. Usually, you will find widgeon grass in wetland ecosystems but, due to its salinity tolerance, it can only venture out into the bay near freshwater sources. Even though widgeon grass isn’t a sea grass it does provide the same benefits of the sea grass species found in the bay area. If you think you’ve found some of this sneaky freshwater plant let us know and send us a photo!
BEAKED
TASSELWEED