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Surf Grass

Phyllospadix torreyi

Photo by Ava T-B
Published on Project Noah
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32.9113, -117.245

Field Notes

Description:

During minus tides the surfgrass is left dry for a short time, but is a wonderful visual cue to where sea level is located. As a photosynthetic plant it creates oxygen as a waste product of photosynthesis. Normally this is washed away by the ocean currents, but at a minus tide, surfgrass in still tidepools on sunny days is covered with bubbles of pure oxygen.

Species ID Suggestions

Surfgrass

Phyllospadix torreyi

Comments (3)

Thanks Cindy for looking into the two grasses. @Leuba -- the grass will stay lush because it's almost always just under the water line!
Thanks so much CoralAvery for the ID. That CA Tidepools site is useful for anenomes too!

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