Beach Finds, Dunes and Plant Life

A Wild, Wild Life on the Mid-Texas Coast: Beach Finds, Dunes and Plant Life

Presentation by Peggy Romfh, M.S. October 2017

Photos by Pete and Peggy Romfh unless otherwise noted

Pete and Peggy Romfh are members of Texas Master Naturalist, Cradle of Texas Chapter Intro to Brazoria County

• Coastal Dunes and Beaches • Trash • Beach Finds • Sargassum • Vegetation – from beaches to salt marsh

B F BAY

saltmarsh over-wash dune beach open (mud-flat) water

Bryan Beach Beach and Dune Contour - 02/19/12 Coordinates: N 28° 52.830’, W 95° 22.540’ 25 Source: Contour Survey, P&P Romfh

20 150 ft 15 50 ft

10 Wrack Line Human tracks Frontal Back Dune Dune Zone Zone 5

HighTide Vertical Height of Sand - Ft - Sand of Height Vertical 0 Low Tide -50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Source: Coastal Dunes, 5th Ed., Texas General Land Office

Washout from Storm Surge

Swash Zone Wet Beach

Wrack Line

You must register marine mammal bones with the National Marine Fisheries Service. Only detached, hard parts, skulls, and bones from a non-endangered species may be collected.

Antidote Vine Golfball Hamburger Bean

Manchineel Nickarbean (Sea Pearl) Sea Heart Sea Purse

Tropical Almond Black Walnut Pecan

Water Hickory Cohune Palm Coconut Palm

Broadleaf Gulfweed (Sargassum fluitans)

June 2017

Broadleaf Gulfweed (Sargassum fluitans) aka Brown Algae; seaweed

Question: What is the impact to dunes and invertebrate life if seaweed levels are too low?

Broadleaf Gulfweed (Sargassum fluitans)

Salt Sand Sun Wind Water

Succulent leaves; pink/purple Prostrate mats to 2 m diameter; calyx lobes; 30 stamens main stem viny, not rooted

Succulent (fleshy leaf blades) Leaf margins entire, crenate Rocket-shaped fruit

Inflorescence in terminal spikes Low-growing shrub, 1-3 ft. Leaves deeply veined

Small shrub Grayish green leaves, fuzzy Flowers in small clusters, light green Minute hairs on stems and leaves

Low-growing shrub, mat-forming Flowers no petals Leaves grayish green with hairs (5 sepals/5 stamens)

Camphor odor

Alternate leaves, serrated margins, thick, narrow

Flower centers harden, Opposite leaves, smooth becoming spiny burrs margins, thick, narrow

Goat-foot Morning Glory, Bayhops

Thick, fleshy, oval leaves Inflorescence – curled, coiling, double rows, 2-4 inches long

INVASIVE SPECIES IN TEXAS Question: Does Saltcedar help stabilize dunes?

Pushes extra salt out through pores in leaves Question: Does mangrove expansion contribute to salt marsh loss?

Coastal Pea (Indigofera miniata) Dalea Amberique Bean (Dalea emarginata) (Strophostyles helvola)

Spotted Beebalm Small Coastal Germander (Monarda punctata) (Teucrium cubense)

Trigonous

Achene 3 mm Common Threesquare, (Schoenoplectus pungens)

Scale with bristle-like awn

Anther (2-)3-fid Sturdy Bulrush (Bolboschoenus robustus)

2 mm Achene

Dune Restoration

Gulf Cordgrass Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina spartinae) (Spartina alterniflora)

Tolerates salt spray, storm surges, inundation, high temperatures, low soil moisture and fertility, sand abrasion, and smothering by drifting sand

ENDANGERED SPECIES IN MANY STATES

Shoregrass (Monanthochloe littoralis) Family Poaceae (Grass) Lavender Thrift (Sea Lavender) (Limonium carolinianum) Family Plumbaginaceae (Leadwort)

Virginia Glasswort Dwarf Saltwort (Salicornia depressa) (Salicornia bigelovii)

Enjoy the plant and animal diversity found on the Texas Coast, but leave only footprints behind!