Phyllospadix scouleri (Surfgrass)
Credit: Jason Johns
about the species
Phyllospadix scouleri, surfgrass, is one of very few flowering plants that lives in the ocean. It occurs in the rocky intertidal and shallow sub-tidal and can form dense beds that are the foundation of intertidal communities. It is a dioecious species with plants producing either only male or only female flowers, and exceptionally high female to male ratios have been reported across its range. It differs from P. torreyi by having flatter and much broader leaves and fewer inflorescences per stem. It has a distribution from Baja California to Alaska.
why species was selected
The rocky intertidal is a critical habitat for many species and understanding the genetic diversity of surfgrass will be important for its conservation. We will determine how genetically distinct are the two described species and measures of connectivity between populations along the entire California coastline.
