Identification of seagrasses and their associated plants and animals can sometimes be performed in the field , but new species cen be encountered and samples are often required to provide a type specimen. A multitude of floras ( Frodin 1984 ), invertebrate lists and field guides exist for specific regions, but the wide variety of plants and animals inhabiting seagrass beds can make identification difficult. There are two major texts that describe seagrass species worldwide ( den Hartog 1970, Phillips andeñez 1988 ).