By Rajni Pandey | July 8, 2024
A recent study suggests that the clear waters of Shark Bay harbor the world's largest plant, a seagrass meadow stretching 112 miles (180 kilometers) and covering 77 square miles (200 square kilometers).
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Researchers estimate that the seagrass meadow, originating from a single stem, is at least 4,500 years old, making it an ancient marvel of nature.
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In 2022, scientists analyzed the genetic makeup of Shark Bay's seagrass for the first time and found that almost all the Poseidon's ribbon weed (Posidonia australis) is genetically identical.
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Unlike other seagrass species that reproduce sexually, the Shark Bay meadow continually clones itself through an underground stem called a rhizome, forming the largest clone in any environment on Earth.
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The Shark Bay seagrass meadow dwarfs the previous record-holder, a 9-mile-long (15 km) Posidonia oceanica meadow in the Mediterranean Sea.
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The meadow expands via horizontal rhizome extension, where stems grow horizontally beneath the seafloor, then develop vertical stems that break through the sand to form seagrass shoots and leaves.
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Researchers estimate that the meadow expands by 6 to 14 inches (15 to 36 centimeters) per year, which is relatively quick for self-cloning seagrass meadows.
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The seagrass meadow has remained relatively undisturbed for thousands of years, allowing it to grow to its colossal size.
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As long as it remains untouched, the Shark Bay seagrass meadow could continue its expansion indefinitely, making it practically immortal.
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