A bay is a protected water area that reaches inland from the coastal sea. Just as the open coast, tides rise and fall in a bay, but aren't as affected by the swells and storm waves generated in the ocean. The mouth and middle regions of a bay are often nurseries for marine life. Tampa Bay is Florida's largest open-water estuary. The black mangrove has hundreds of roots the size of pencils that grow up from the soil.
Mangroves thrive in salty environments because they are able to obtain freshwater from saltwater.
These plants provide a home for birds, fish and shellfish. Florida has more than 500,000 acres of mangroves. Seagrasses are flowering underwater plants that provide a habitat for small fish, shrimp and crabs. Even though 52 kinds of seagrasses are found worldwide, only seven kinds are found in Florida waters. Seagrasses help stabilize shifting sands on the bay bottom and in turn improve water clarity by trapping fine sediments and particles with their leaves.