Join the initiative to barcode all the seagrass species

Seagrasses are a discrete group of flowering plants that live their life in a submerged marine environment. The adaptations these plants have acquired to survive in this environment mean they exhibit highly reduced morphologically in both vegetative and floral structures.

Morphological reduction has lead to a problem in easily recognising seagrass characteristics that clearly define species. In addition, flowering and fruiting is often not observed so identification has relied on vegetative material. Seagrass taxonomy is thus difficult and complex and at times controversial.

The advent of molecular genetic tools provide an opportunity to improve our knowledge and resolution of seagrass taxonomy and another way to help identify specimens to species.