The stamp shows common eelgrass (Zostera marina), a key species in the Baltic Sea. Eelgrass is an aquatic vascular plant that lives entirely underwater. A major part of the eelgrass meadows in Finland are found in the Åland archipelago. The oldest Finnish bed of cloned eelgrass, said to be over 1 000 years old, is believed to be located in the Åland coastal belt.
Eelgrass forms one the most valued ecosystems on earth. Often referred to as the coral reefs of the Baltic Sea, eelgrass meadows also serve as nurseries for thousands of small fish and crustaceans as well as millions of invertebrates.
