17th November: Seagrass - a vital food source

Seagrass, also called eelgrass, is a primary food source for geese around Lindisfarne including the Light-bellied Brent goose. Seagrass grows throughout the mudflats of Lindisfarne NNR, which boasts the most extensive seagrass beds in the Northeast of England. This is one of the main reasons why half of the world population of Light-bellied Brent geese (Spitzbergen race) choose to spend their winter here.

There are two main species of seagrass found at Lindisfarne NNR, Zostera angustifolia and Zostera noltii. Here are photos of these species of seagrass on the NNR's mudflats, showing that they are not just an empty expanse of sticky intertidal mud but a vital resource for wildlife of the Reserve.

Z. angustifolia

Z. noltii