Syringodium filiforme
Syringodium filiforme, commonly known as manatee grass, is a species of marine seagrass. It forms meadows in shallow sandy or muddy locations in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, and is also found in the Bahamas and Bermuda. It occurs to a depth of about , and even deeper where water is very clear. Climate Change Influences. Manatee seagrasses are a flowering plant that thrives in shallow saltwater around the coast of Florida. Worldwide Manatee seagrass is experiencing global decline due to ever changing events in their environment. These descendants of terrestrial plants that were able to  survive over 65 million years of evolution are now facing being wiped from the planet due to climate change and other anthropogenic factors. This is the first time in history that there is a probability of losing seagrass species worldwide. Currently under the IUCN these plants are red listed as a threatened species (Short, Frederick T. et al, 2011). As of 2010 there were 10 seagrass species at high rick of extinction. While three were considered endangered. With seagrass species loss comes biodiversity loss. This paper studies not only human impact on seagrass beds but also global climate change and  how changing environments are impacting seagrasses worldwide (Short, Frederick T. et al, 2011). Understanding the importance of manatee grass will help direct towards saving them from global climate change. Seagrass meadows provide many ecological importances and rank one of the highest ecosystems on the earth. The roots and rhizomes of seagrasses stabilise sediments and prevent erosion to the land. Their leaves filter suspended nutrients from the water column. This in turn links them to coral reefs, mangroves, salt marshes, and even oyster reefs (Bjork, Mats, et al). References. ork, Mats, et al. “Managing Seagrasses for Resilience to Climate Change .” IUCN  Resilience Science Group Working Paper Series, vol. 03, pp. 1–61. External links. Heck, KL, et al. “Seagrass Consumption by Native and a Tropically Associated Fish Species: Potential Impacts of the Tropicalization of the Northern Gulf of Mexico.” Marine Ecology Progress Series, vol. 520, 2015, pp. 165–173., https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11104. Hotaling, Althea, et al. “Comprehensive Seagrass Restoration Planning in Southwest Florida: Science, Law and Management.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2011, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2675711. Ray, Brandon R., et al. “Changes in Seagrass Species Composition in Northwestern Gulf of Mexico Estuaries: Effects on Associated Seagrass Fauna.” PLoS ONE, vol. 9, no. 9, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107751. Short, Frederick T., et  al. “Extinction Risk Assessment of the World’s Seagrass Species.” Biological Conservation, vol. 144, no. 7, 2011, pp. 1961–1971., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2011.04.010.