This is not seaweed,but a marine relative of water lily, known as seagrass.
这些不是海藻，而是睡莲科植物的海中远亲，又称海草*;7Sdg5W&.raV~ST=。
It grows in flowers in vast meadows in clear water, around the islands and along the shore of the mainland.
它们于岛屿周边广袤的水下平原以及大陆的海岸沿线生长繁殖p3I~3K _GNMtL。
And its support to creature that ancient mariners once mistook for mermaids.
它是另一特殊物种的食物，这是一种古老的海洋生物，曾被误认为美人鱼3Y)8BV7@&!JEBE,~G。
Gathering in a herd to a hundred or more are dugongs or sea cows.
它们就是儒艮，俗称海牛，一群有一百只甚至更多GJ8ttfl)#(juHm9。
They are relatives of elephants.
它们是大象的表亲tK9As=h]ATwyz+。
Each one can weigh nearly half a ton and march for 40 kilos of seagrass a day.
儒艮每只体重约有半吨，每天要吃约40公斤的海草|C3p^iLV2z=w|hFtL6C2。
Dugongs were once abundant, but they've had a difficult relationship with people.
儒艮曾经一度数量繁盛，但不幸的是，它们与人类的关系不佳xjq*_WlrQgo0iN。
Nowadays, they are trapped accidentally in fishing nets and shark protection barriers,and traditionally, aboriginal hunters targeted them because they taste good, like prime beef.
如今，它们经常会意外地被渔网困住，又或是被防鲨网勾住，当地土族把它们列在菜单上，因为它们味道可口，可以和顶级牛肉媲美BeRCOM)L%v-wAwx(%RfR。
And recovery of the population is slow.
而它们自己的繁殖速度也很慢]+]I0fRs@M#;kmM*。
A single baby is born every three to seven years.
每3到7年，母儒艮才能生下一个宝宝dSH95;FC&p0。
And this baby dugong may not be old enough to breed until she's 17 years old.
而它们的幼崽，要长到17岁以后才能开始繁殖|S+[KB.Z0s。