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

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

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

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found today in bays and estuaries around the 
globe.

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

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coral reefs with coastal mangrove forests.

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

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Seagrasses and mangroves stabilize coastal 
sediments and create buffers against storm

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surge and flooding.

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

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add value to local economies.

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

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

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from now, it s right now.

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

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

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

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of the ocean s bays and estuaries?

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