cells of eelgrass, for efficient light absorption (Tomlinson, 1980; 

 Dennison and Alberte, 1982). 



A basal meristem, enclosed within the leaf sheath, produces new 

 leaves, rhizome segments, and lateral shoots. Clusters of roots on each 

 rhizome node, penetrate the sediment 30 cm or more. The roots function 

 both in anchoring the plant and are the primary site of N and P uptake 

 (Penhale and Thayer, 1980). As eelgrass grows, the base of the shoot 

 pushes through the sediment. 



Eelgrass is found in diverse habitats in temperate waters. 

 Locally, the upper limit of growth is set by physical factors such as 

 wave action, ice scour, and desiccation. The lower limit of eelgrass 

 growth is set by the period of light intensity above photosynthetic 

 saturation and compensation (Dennison and Alberte, 1985, 1986; Dennison, 

 1987) . Thus in turbid bays without appreciable wave energy, eelgrass 

 ranges from low intertidal to 2.0 m MLW or less; in wave-swept coasts 

 with clear water, eelgrass begins at 1-2 m MLW and may grow as deep as 

 12-45 m (Sand-Jensen and Borum, 1983; Lee and Olsen, 1985, Cottara and 

 Munroe, 1954) . Mean secchi disk depth is a good predictor of maximum 

 depth of ee] grass growth (Dennison, 1987). 



All stages of the eelgrass life cycle occur underwater, including 

 flowering, pollination, and seed germination (Ackerman, 1983; den 

 Hartog, 1977, Taylor, 1957a+b) . There is latitudinal variation in 

 phenology, and in New England, peak flowering occurs in April and May 

 (Silberhorn et al., 1983), but there is often variation among habitats. 



