They also play an important role in the food web of inshore coastal areas. The largest of these are in Western Australia and Queensland. Western Australia is home to the most diverse number of seagrass species in Australia. Pygmy right whales are thought to forage the open seafloor in near shore waters on the open coast of southern Australia. In sheltered bays, they swim over or near seagrass beds.
Sea grasses are very sensitive to some human impacts.
About 450 sq km of the meadows have been damaged from human actions, such as dredging. Seagrasses are important indicators of the health of the marine environment. The news is not good for areas around our coastal cities. Large areas of seagrass have died in the last 20 years. The long term impacts of global warming caused by climate change on seagrass meadows has concerned some scientists who think that their slow growth rate may affect their ability to adapt well to changing climate and rising sea levels.