City of Cape Canaveral Issues Statement About Upcoming Clean-Up of Seaweed From Beach
By City of Cape Canaveral // November 9, 2017
coastline has taken beating due to hurricane season
BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – Our natural beaches/sea turtles/coastline have taken quite a beating this year due to a very active hurricane season.
Some residents have been posing questions on Facebook as to why the City is not cleaning the beach of the naturally occurring seaweed (beach wrack).
Here is information about our natural beach/coastline, sea turtle season, our beach cleaning process and links to more resources:
• March 1, 2017 was the start of the sea turtle nesting season on our beaches. Any beach cleanup equipment would upset the already laid eggs / sea turtle nesting environment. A Florida Department of Environmental Protection, FDEP permit does exist to clean up the beach during the sea turtle nesting season – but it only cleans up the low tide area/water line. Due to the damage suffered by Hurricane Irma in September 2017, the low tide area/water line has moved significantly inland/up beach.
• The City is committed to preserving the sea turtle nesting area and our natural beach environment.
• The City as does what it can to preserve the natural beach wrack/dune ecosystem: As the line of seaweed (wrack line) ages, it provides for the growth of fungi and other organisms; It provides food for small animals and shorebirds, and clumps of old wrack collect windblown sand and tumbling plant seeds. Some clumps grow into low dunes on the upper beach. Small dunes can grow into substantial mounds capable of protecting upland property from storm erosion.
The City of Cape Canaveral shares a beach cleaner with the City of Cocoa Beach, and it will be deployed post sea turtle season. This has not been scheduled with Cocoa Beach as of Nov. 1.
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