The surfgrass Phyllospadix torreyi is a clonal marine angiosperm that occurs in dense persistent stands in the intertidal and shallow subtidal zones of moderate to high energy coastlines of the northern Pacific Ocean. Surfgrasses are among the most productive seagrass communities yet studied and their stands form the basis for a thriving intertidal community. Because surfgrass populations have been and may be disturbed through oil and gas exploration, understanding how to restore populations is an important goal. Complicating these efforts is the fact that surfgrass is a dioecious species consisting of separate male and female plants. Natural populations appear to be strongly biased towards females and thus replicating sex-ratios may be important in restoration efforts.
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