Florida keeps packing people and buildings on barrier islands. It comes at a high cost Florida barrier islands host 765,000+ residents as development raises hurricane, erosion and insurance risks while taxpayers fund repeated beach restorations.

Interesting article about building on barrier islands. The climate effects of more powerful hurricanes, like Ian, and the rising seas are impacting lives, homes and costs.
www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...
#barrierislands #risingseas #insurancecosts #climateimpacts

Barrier Islands are important.
#erosioncontrol #biodiversity #coastalecology #barrierislands

Great article by Rachel Dunn, a former student and @siucarbondale.bsky.social plant biology alumna.

interpnet.wordpress.com/wp-content/u...

Photograph - landscape in Panorama format - marsh grasses disappearing on the horizon. In the foreground deep green grasses but further way a deep golden color due to the amount of salt water present. The skies are filled with clouds that are starting to burn off in the bright morning light.

Thanks to someone on the Georgia coast for picking a print of this panorama view of the marshes between Savannah and Tybee Island. 💙💙

Prints here: pixels.markonart.com...

#Georgia #Photography #Landscapes #Coastal #SaltMarsh #TybeeIsland #BarrierIslands #Art #ArtForSale #BlueSkyArt #ShopSmall

This is a larger painting that has been sold that I need to finish of the same boat. Wallops Island is in the background. #artistatwork #islandsintheocean #barrierislands #woodenboats #bskyart The current administration wants to shut the #NASA facility down and launch no more rockets there. Sad…

April 14, 2025: Aerial Photos Kelly Belair sent in our first aerial photos of the year. He has a place down near Devil’s Elbow, so the first shot is from around there, looking south. You can click on these photos to see t…

Kelly flew around a little more on Sunday afternoon, and sent me more photos. icepatrol.wordpress.com/2025/04/14/a... #IcePatrol #LakeOfTheWoods #Kenora #SouixLookout #DevilsGap #DevilsElbow #BarrierIslands #Shammis #AndrewBay #BigNarrows #ShoalLake #FalconIsland #BigTraverse #Warroad #Canada #USA

Illustration of vegetation patterns on a typical Atlantic Coast barrier island.

Barrier island cross-section and vegetation patterns, from my book A Field Guide to the Mid-Atlantic Coast, Yale University Press. a.co/d/6rKgbMQ

#sciart 🧪🌿🌎 #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #iNat #scientificillustration #natureart #visualscicomm #sciviz #scicomm #obx #barrierislands

Historically speaking, did the Gulf and Atlantic barrier islands have fire at all like the mainland southeast? I'm curious because they do seem to have similar plants that are fire-dependent. Did hurricanes take care of it instead?

They did and still do, probably not any less often than they did presettlement, at least on the ones that have not been developed. There are lots of heliophytic plants out there but not any that come to mind that I would call "fire-dependent." Deep sterile sandy soils, saline overwash, hurricanes, etc. all help keep them open. Fires happen occasionally but in many of the upland habitats fuels are too patchy for them to travel far under normal lightning season conditions.

I asked about the role of fire in southeastern US barrier islands and I got an interesting response. I was expecting some sort of mechanism to keep them open other than fire, just wasn't sure what it was. #Southeast #US #CoastalPlains #BarrierIslands #Fire #Hurricanes #Biodiversity

Florida’s barrier islands reeling from double whammy as Hurricane Milton follows Helene Despite grave losses, many residents say they would rather rebuild than leave their picturesque home.

👇🇺🇸 "Florida’s barrier islands reeling from double whammy as Hurricane Milton follows Helene"
#HurricaneHelene #HurricaneMilton #BarrierIslands
#Florida