In this study, the epiphyte load on seagrass leaves was strongly correlated to the nutrient availability in the different intertidal zones of the bay. At high nutrient levels, opportunistic macroalgae and epiphytes are better competitors than seagrasses because they exhibit higher nutrient uptake and faster growth rates. Thus, elevated dissolved nutrient concentration, such as that found close to the nutrient sources, can stimulate epiphyte overgrowth on seagrass leaves