Studies that examine a seagrass community response to environmental factors should include many sites where the response is expressed, including epiphytes of free-living plant improve our understanding of seagrass ecology Seasonal changes in environmental factors indicate seasonal sampling is necessary Seasonal factors that may be important to the distribution or form of seagrasses include temperature, salinity, water transparency, nutrient levels, the presence and abundance of epiphytes, and the aboundance and activity of grazers