They are an ancient species of flowering plants
that grow submerged in all of the world s

oceans from the latitudes of northern Alaska
to the tip of South America.

Seagrasses evolved during the age of the dinosaurs,
nearly a hundred million years ago, and are

found today in bays and estuaries around the
globe.

In shallow tropical and subtropical waters
these prairies of the sea link the offshore

coral reefs with coastal mangrove forests.

They provide food and shelter for many marine
species that will one day inhabit the reefs.

Seagrasses and mangroves stabilize coastal
sediments and create buffers against storm

surge and flooding.

They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,
filter contaminants from coastal waters, and

add value to local economies.

But seagrasses are in decline globally
and mangroves are being lost to coastal development.

These areas are degrading right now, it s
not 50 years from now, or a hundred years

from now, it s right now.

The rate at which we re losing seagrass
habitat globally could result in an ecosystem

collapse from the bottom of the food chain
all the way up.

Will restoring seagrass and mangrove communities
help sustain the ecological and economic values

of the ocean s bays and estuaries?

And how will rising sea levels impact their
survival in the future?