This species favors loose sandy sediments, which can move around in ocean currents, so its important that they are able to anchor themselves well. The leaves range in color from a light grayish-green to a dark foresty hue, and turn brown and curl up if brought out of the water for too long.
When I saw this seagrass for the first time, I was really quite excited. I had spent years working with another species, Zostera marina (eelgrass), which grows in colder waters in places like the northeast U.S. That grass is strong and easy to work with, unlike some other types that grow in confusing clumps or are too flimsy to do experiments with. I wasn't sure what I'd find when I met little neptune grass, but I was pleased to see that it was clean, comprehensible and made a tidy little meadow. Seagrass meadows are always full of small fascinating life, so I was on the lookout for isopods, seahorses, shellfish and more. What I didn't expect was to turn around and see a giant stingray lounging in the sand next to the meadow! It had buried itself in the sand and was well-camouflaged, so it was hard to see, but it appeared to be at peace and taking a pleasant rest. It was a good reminder of how many different types of life a seagrass meadow can support, and I was excited to get to work with it. I learned that little neptune grass leaves are smaller and a little more delicate than the eelgrass I'm used to, but that the roots are incredibly strong. In the Canary Islands, the roots are especially adapted to go very deep.
