. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. 'o, NATURALIST'S NOTEBOOK Big Red Flag Brabson first saw beach vitex five years ago, while walking a familiar stretch of beach between Georgetown and Pawley's Island as a volunteer for the South Carolina United Turtle Enthusiasts (SCUTE). Her reaction was typical. "I thought it was pretty," Brabson says, describing how the plant's round, grayish- green leaves and bright purple flowers contrasted with the surrounding vegetation — mostly tall, wispy sea oats. She noted a pink beach house nearby, an
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. 'o, NATURALIST'S NOTEBOOK Big Red Flag Brabson first saw beach vitex five years ago, while walking a familiar stretch of beach between Georgetown and Pawley's Island as a volunteer for the South Carolina United Turtle Enthusiasts (SCUTE). Her reaction was typical. "I thought it was pretty," Brabson says, describing how the plant's round, grayish- green leaves and bright purple flowers contrasted with the surrounding vegetation — mostly tall, wispy sea oats. She noted a pink beach house nearby, and kept an eye on the unusual plant for the rest of nesting season. "It grew and grew until it covered the dunes, and I noticed there were no sea oats growing anymore," she recalls. "The big red flag went up in 2003 when we did the Beach Sweep," she says, referring to the annual one-day litter cleanup of South Carolina's beaches and waterways, sponsored by South Carolina Sea Grant. That day, Brabson spotted thousands of beach vitex seedlings near the pink house. One of the most troubling characteristics of beach vitex is its prolific seed production — it can generate as many as 3,300 viable seeds per square meter, says Gresham. "On a windy day, you can watch them [the seeds] blow by you on the beach," says Nash, who is also a coastal management specialist for NC Cooperative Extension. After the Big Sweep, Brabson called Randy Westbrooks of the Geological Survey. Westbrook organized a symposium for personnel from state and federal agencies, private citizens and representatives from non- profit organizations to address beach vitex. The event resulted in the formation of the South Carolina Beach Vitex Task Force, made possible by a five-year grant from the National Off 'c,fi '*e c Fish ^ Wildlife The group ^h^ ^e^ was renamed the Carolinas Beach Vitex Task Force in 2005 when North Carolina officials joined the effort. Neighborhood Watch The ta
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
