As a habitat, SAV beds provide shelter for numerous animal species.  Migratory fish that swim up into the estuaries to spawn depend upon the grass beds to provide shelter from predators.  Their eggs and juveniles find protection in the varying structures of the grasses.  Blue crabs retreat to SAV beds when molting to avoid predation in their vulnerable state.  Juvenile crabs also use the grass beds for shelter to escape predators.

Grass beds are also important for decreasing turbidity caused by suspended sediments.  By minimizing wave action and current flow, the grass beds cause suspended sediments to settle out.  Trapping sediment particles before they reach the open waters prevents the sediment from burying bottom dwelling organisms like oysters.  The resulting increase in water clarity and the addition of rich organic sediment in turn contributes to SAV success. 

SAV is also important for protecting the shoreline from erosion by energy waves created by currents, tidal changes, storm surges and boat wakes.  By dissipating the energy of inward rolling waves, the shoreline itself is protected from erosion.  Banks that are exposed to wave action are better able to resist erosion if SAV beds have dispersed the energy before it reaches the shore. 

(Pictures from http://noaa.chesapeakebay.net/sav_rfp.htm)

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