Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Moore, Jon

Abstract

Okenia hypogaea is a rare vine-like dune plant found only in Mexico and five counties on Florida’s southeast coast, from St. Lucie to Miami-Dade County. At John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, GPS coordinates of all Okenia hypogaea within the park were collected to create a map. I repeated this process following substantial beach erosion, caused by Hurricane Dorian, to compare growth patterns and geographic distribution. This data can be utilized by park officials when managing this species. Soil analysis along the same 1.3-mile stretch of beach was done to evaluate environmental parameters impacting Okenia’s distribution and growth. Ten samples collected in the North region and ten in the South region of the beach were compared to determine any differences in their chemical composition that may affect Okenia hypogaea distribution. The tests performed on the soil measured pH, salinity, concentrations of various metals, petroleum products, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Comments

Includes bibliography.

Extent

43 p.

Identifier

FA00003712

Download

Share

COinS