Seagrass habitats are among the most productive and biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. The most common type of seagrass in California is Zostera, or eelgrass, which grows under water in estuaries and in shallow coastal bays of the ecoregion. It is a flowering plant, not an alga, and occurs in dense beds. It helps prevent erosion and maintain stability near shore by anchoring sediment with its spreading rhizomes and slowing water flow. Eelgrass beds provide foraging, breeding, or nursery areas for invertebrates, fish, and birds. This file aggregates data from several sources across multiple years; see supplemental info. Features shown here should not be considered a representation of condition for any given year. Features represent the maximum extent of eelgrass found across multiple surveys over multiple years.