Seagrass Meadows: The Underwater Pastures That Feed Turtles and Dugongs

When divers and snorkellers picture the Red Sea, they imagine vivid coral and darting fish — not the humble green meadows swaying over the sand. Yet those seagrass beds are quietly among the most important habitats in the sea. They feed the turtles and dugongs everyone hopes to see, shelter countless young creatures, and even help protect the coast and the climate. The unglamorous seagrass meadow is, in truth, an unsung hero. Here's why it matters.

The short answer: seagrass meadows are underwater "pastures" of flowering marine plants that feed turtles and dugongs, nurse young marine life, stabilise the seabed, and store carbon. They're vital, vulnerable, and deserve protection.

What seagrass actually is

Here's a surprise: seagrass is not seaweed but a true flowering plant — one that evolved to live fully submerged in the sea, with roots, leaves, and flowers. Seagrasses form meadows over sandy and muddy seabeds in shallow, sheltered areas, creating green underwater pastures that sway in the current. Unlike algae, they have proper root systems anchoring them and the seabed. In the Red Sea, these meadows grow in calm bays and lagoons, exactly where you'll often find the bays famous for turtles.

The animals that depend on it

Seagrass is a food source and habitat for some of the Red Sea's most beloved animals:

• Green turtles — adult green turtles are largely herbivorous and graze directly on seagrass, which is why bays with healthy meadows (like Abu Dabbab) are the best places to see them feeding.
• Dugongs — the rare "sea cow" feeds almost entirely on seagrass, so its survival is utterly tied to healthy meadows. No seagrass, no dugongs.
• Young fish and invertebrates — seagrass meadows act as nurseries, sheltering juvenile fish, seahorses, and countless small creatures among the blades, protected from predators.

In other words, the wildlife encounters people travel for often depend directly on these unglamorous green beds.

Why seagrass matters beyond the wildlife

Seagrass meadows do quiet, crucial work for the whole coast:

• Stabilising the seabed. Their roots bind the sand, preventing erosion and keeping the water clear.
• Cleaning the water. They trap sediment and absorb nutrients, improving water clarity (which benefits nearby corals too).
• Storing carbon. Seagrass meadows are remarkably effective at capturing and storing carbon — so-called "blue carbon" — making them important in the fight against climate change.
• Supporting fisheries. As nurseries, they underpin the fish populations that fisheries and reefs depend on.

Pound for pound, seagrass is one of the most valuable habitats in the sea.

Why it's vulnerable — and how to protect it

Despite its importance, seagrass is fragile and threatened by coastal development, pollution, boat anchors and propellers, careless tourism, and trampling. Damaged meadows recover slowly, and their loss harms turtles, dugongs, fisheries, and water quality. Protecting seagrass is therefore essential — and visitors play a real part:

• Keep your fins off the seagrass. Don't kick, stand on, or trample the meadows when snorkelling or diving the bays.
• Maintain good buoyancy over seagrass areas.
• Support responsible operators and respect protected areas.
• Don't anchor on seagrass (a boat-operator responsibility) and choose operators who avoid it.
• Keep your distance from grazing turtles and dugongs, protecting both the animals and their pasture.

Practical tips

When snorkelling turtle bays like Abu Dabbab, stay off the seagrass and keep your fins up — it's both the turtles' food and a precious habitat. Appreciate the meadows as the rich, living systems they are, not empty patches of "grass." Choose conservation-minded operators. And spread the word: seagrass gets little love, but understanding its value helps protect it.

The Red Sea's seagrass meadows may lack the glamour of coral, but they're the quiet foundation of so much that makes the sea special — the turtles, the dugongs, the nurseries of young life, and the health of the coast itself. Tread gently over these underwater pastures, and you help protect one of the ocean's most undervalued treasures.

Exploring the turtle bays? Plan responsible snorkelling trips on packnplan, and help protect the seagrass meadows that feed the Red Sea's most beloved animals.