Eelgrass
Tracks the area of the most common type of native underwater plant in the San Francisco Bay
Eelgrass is Vital Habitat for Fish and Birds, and Provides Shoreline Protection
Latest Update: 2015
Eelgrass forms beds of submerged aquatic vegetation that support high levels of invertebrates, and provide food and shelter for small fish, spawning habitat for Pacific herring, and foraging grounds for dabbling and diving ducks. It reduces wave energy and buffers the shoreline. The extent of eelgrass in the Bay is highly variable from year to year.
A Marbled Godwit stands on a bed of eelgrass at low tide.
Related Indicators
Quality Habitat Category
Open Water Habitat
Measures the net downstream flows through the Delta and the presence of low-salinity habitat in Suisun and San Pablo Bays
Tidal Marsh
Measures the extent of tidal marsh, including tidal marsh restoration projects, in the Estuary
Woody Riparian
Measures changes in the area and width of woody streamside vegetation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Under development)