Different Types of Sea Plants

Sea plants come in various types and forms. Some types of sea organisms that you may consider to be a sea plant are not really plants at all! There are also types of sea plants can actually be grown in salt water or brackish water home aquariums.

Seagrass

One of the most common types of sea plants falls under the seagrass distinction. The plants considered seagrass actually come from four different plant families. All of these plant families are able to grow in salt water. These sea plants are flowering and grow in underwater meadows. These beds or meadows are essential to sea life ecology. Although this type of sea plant is not fed upon by most fish it does provide cover for many different species of fish. They also provide erosion and wave protection and may provide a source to fertilize soil. They were used in the past as a filler for mattresses as well.

Salt Water Aquarium Plants

One type of sea plant that can be used in salt water aquariums are Red Mangrove Tree plants. These plants grow to be around 6-8 inches tall and resemble a bunch of small trees. If they are purchased with roots a leaves already grown they are fairly easy to grow. This type of plant absorbs nutrients in the water to grow. This trait may also help to limit the growth of algae in an aquarium as they may absorb the nutrients that the algae would have used to propagate. This type of sea plant will actually grow in fresh water, salt water, and brackish water. A person using this plant their tank should be careful to remove all leaves that decay and fall from it from the fish tank.

Not Really Plants?

What may surprise you is that what many people might consider sea plants are not really plants at all. One example of this situation is seaweed. Many people may be confused as to this statement. The name of this organism is part of the problem. The term "seaweed" suggests that this life form is just that, a weed. However seaweed is actually closer in its form to an algae. They are not considered a plant by biologists and many scientists prefer to refer to this organism by the term "marine algae" rather than "seaweed". They are not considered to be a plant because they are non-vascular.

There have been many studies conducted on the potential medicinal benefits of seaweed but the studies have been varied with their results.