Why is SAV important?
Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), primarily eelgrass (Zostera marina) and widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima), is an important component of the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor ecosystem, serving as important habitat for benthic epifauna and infauna (aquatic animals living on or within the bottom of the bay). Some organisms graze on SAV (e.g., gastropods, fish, duck, muskrats) and eelgrass also serves as valuable spawning, nursery and feeding grounds for finfish populations. SAV also stabilize the benthic habitat by baffling waves and currents and alleviate substrate erosion.
