UNDERSTANDING SEAGRASS: Keep blades away from this grass ... we'll 
explain on Passport to Texas.
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PTT from TPWD and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Sea grass plays a vital role in the health and vitality of 
marine ecosystems.

Sea grass does play an integral role in the estuary environment. 
It's a food source for many marine organisms. Small 
invertebrates actually feed on decomposing fragments of sea 
grass, and that's the bottom of the food chain, so that's real 
important. :15

Biologist Faye Berens, is working on a sea grass project in 
Redfish Bay. Sea grass may be low on the food chain, but 
it deserves our respect, even though at times it's not 
received it.

We've had problems. Numerous boaters access the area, and 
due to the shallow waters that you'll find within the redfish bay 
area, submerged propellers actually will begin to uproot and 
create trenches in the sea grass beds. :16

Trenching ... fragments sea grass beds, which leads to 
other problems.

You don't get a continuous growth, which can actually create 
more of an edge effect, and limit the abundance of marine 
organisms that can use that area. :10

Sea grass is the bottom of the food chain, and if it cannot 
support marine life on which successive links of the chain 
depend, then we could feel more than a ripple effect in 
the future. A new regulation to protect sea grass in 
Redfish Bay ... that's Monday.

And that's our show for today ... supported by the Sport 
Fish Restoration program ... working to increase fishing 
and boating opportunities in Texas ... For Texas Parks and 
Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti.