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Coastal strands are dynamic, diverse areas of enormous
ecological significance. Coastal strand habitat includes
Gulf beaches, dunes, and maritime forests found on barrier
islands, peninsulas and mainland beaches. Among other uses,
they:
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Contain some of the nation’s most productive wildlife
habitats;
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Are important buffer for tropical storms and hurricanes;
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Provide recreation for millions of people.
With proper stewardship, these areas will continue to meet
many differing human demands without having their ecological
integrity or biological diversity compromised. Coastal ecosystems provide a home for many diverse animals
and plants, including sea turtles, beach mice, piping plovers
and sea oats.
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Species found on coastal strands
Sea
turtles are among the largest living reptiles.
Most species have scales and a bony shell, and all species
are cold-blooded, breathe air and lay their eggs on
land. Six species of sea turtles nest on U.S. beaches
or are found in U.S. waters, and all six are designated
as threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered
Species Act. They are: loggerhead sea turtle, Kemp’s
ridley turtle, olive ridley turtle, hawksbill sea turtle,
green turtle and leatherback turtle. |
Beach mice have small bodies, large ears and
eyes, and hair colors that blend with the soil types
found in their respective habitats. Beach mice are
nocturnal animals and spend most of the daylight hours
in burrows.
The habitat for beach mice is listed as a critical
habitat because of damage from hurricanes and
development to the beach dunes. |
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The plover is a small shore bird the color of dry sand, and when
standing still it blends into the background of the
sand where it feeds and nests. Piping plovers build
their nests in the northern U.S. but beginning in mid-July,
migrate south to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. This
puts the plover’s habitat in conflict with humans
who like the same areas of the beaches for summer recreation.
The piping plover is listed as a federally threatened
species, and 1,798 miles of coastline, from North Carolina
to Texas, are a designated critical habitat for the
small bird.
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Coastal dunes also provide a home to several plants,
including the sea oat.
Sea oats are tall, picturesque plants that are often
associated with Gulf Coast scenery. The tall beach
grass, named for its grainlike seeds, forms and maintains
dunes by trapping sand. The seed plumes were once
a popular item for home decorating but are now protected
by law in Florida. Sea oats can be easily destroyed
by foot or vehicle traffic, leading to erosion of
dunes and entire beaches.
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