Everything You Should Know About June Grass (AKA Cladophora)

Well, it's that time of year again. We are moving from late spring to early summer, and June grass is washing in on some of the beaches that we manage in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Perdido Key, and Gulf Shores. For those of you who travel to our area often, this is just another beach vacation. If this is your first time to our area - this might be a little confusing. Whether you're a seasoned vacationer or local, or this is your first time to our area - stick around and we will tell you about June Grass. Is it harmful? What is it? Where does it come from? Will it be gone during your vacation?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWp_G4Z-_C4

Josh explains what June Grass is, why its here at certain parts of the year, and if its good to eat.

Is June Grass Harmful?

We get this question a lot - Is June Grass Harmful? The Florida and Alabama coastline is known for its gentle surf, crystal clear water, and being a safe place for kids and adults alike to enjoy the beach and water. Kids on boogie boards is synonymous with our area, because of how safe the surf is. (For unsafe conditions see our Rip Tide post.) June Grass is safe. It does not contain anything unsafe and even when the bloom (that's what you call it when it's really noticeable) occurs, June Grass does not cause respiratory or any other health issues on its own. If you have special allergies to plant life or marine pests, be sure to check with your health care provider for more information. Generally, however, June Grass does not cause any harm. So, if it's not harmful what the heck is June Grass?

What is June Grass?

When a child comes out of the water and their parents see slimey green stuff attached to the outside (and inside) of the kid's bathing suit, they ask us what it is. What is June grass? The scientific name for June grass is Cladophora. I'm not a scientist, but I did ask ChatGPT to explain cladophora to me like I'm 5 years old. So prepare to be amazed. It's green algae. Well, technically it's a green algae that typically blooms in warm, clear water where sunlight is prevalent. That's also why June grass is bright green. Florida and Alabama's coastline has crystal clear water and almost constant direct sunlight, and June grass is chock-full of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the chemical in plants that captures and converts sunlight to food/energy. OK, so we know what June grass is, but where does it come from?

Where Does June Grass Come From?

Where June grass comes from is the real question. I checked a few local blogs and articles about it, and had to dig a little deeper to find the answer I was looking for. Here's what I found: I'm not 100% sure. June grass can grow close to the shore when the water and air temps rise, or it can grow off-shore and ride an incoming tide toward our beaches. Cladophora is called "June grass" because it typically shows up early to mid June. When the water gets warm in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Perdido and Gulf Shores an early sign of the season is the arrival of June grass. It's a sign that our water is getting warmer and the days are getting longer. Longer days mean more direct sunlight, which has a double effect. The water warms up which accelerates algae growth, but the sun stays out longer too. More sunlight for a (harmless) chlorophyll driven marine algae means that it really takes off. That's why you see it along the shallow coastal waters. The water is warmer and more sunlight rich. BUT, cladophora can also grow off shore and drift in. The blooms are typically much larger off shore and when wind, tides, weather break up the large blooms they can drift into shore in sections and wash up on our beaches. When these sections drift into the shallows, conditions become ripe for the living algae to reproduce in the shallow water and create a large bloom. While this may sound like a vacation partypooper, the grass serves a pretty important role in the local ecosystem. The algae helps feed and protect local wildlife. Juvenilte fish, shrimp, crabs, turtles rely on this stuff. Also, the June grass helps nourish the dunes and protect our area. It's a pretty cool, all be it gross part of the beach ecology. The best part, it doesn't usually stick around very long.

How Long Does June Grass Bloom Last?

This question we get a lot, "how long does june grass stick around?" The answer is: it depends. We've seen June grass come and go in a week, or it can last longer. The wind and tide are ultimately responsible for getting June grass out of the water. If we get favorable winds that push the stuff onto the beach, it can be cleaned up and removed from the shoreline. But, if the June grass stays in the water - it can stick around for a while. It's unlikely that the wind will just push it back out to sea and it goes away. We get mostly onshore winds. That means the wind is blowing toward the beach from the Gulf. June grass being blown off shore by (you guessed it) offshore winds could easily return to our coastline when the winds turn back onshore. That's why determining how long the June grass will stick around is hard to determine. When it DOES wash up on shore, however, we can remove it and place it at the foot of the sand dunes or by burying it in the sand away from beach goers.

How Do You Get Rid of June Grass?

As I said earlier, if the June grass has washed up on the beach it can be removed. If the June grass is floating in the water - there's nothing we at Excel Beach Service (or anyone else) can do about it. Once it's on the beach, however, we tend to partner with the owners and managers at the properties we service to find a way to get rid of it. For those locations that want the June grass removed from the area near the water we tend to haul the cladophora away from the shoreline and place it in one of two locations. Firstly, we bury it. Most of the beaches that we manage tend to have lower traffic areas away from the prime sitting, playing or used areas. In those areas we can dig holes and bury the June grass in them. It's very important to avoid any nesting or habitat areas. For more information about nesting and habitats check out this link. The second way in which we can dispose of June grass is by scattering it into the dunes. When we do this, we take care not to step on any sea oats or dune plant life. The sea oats and other plantlife growing in the dunes helps to secure the dunes in place. The nutrient rich cladophora provides a ton of great stuff for the dune foilage and helps secure the longevity of the dunes. It is extremely important that you (or your beach service) do not place June grass in county provided trash bags or cans. Wet June grass can be extremely heavy in large piles and cause damage to county property or be refused by county workers who pick up trash. These county workers typically clear trash bins by hand and won't mess with a can full of June grass. Avoid an unnecessary issue and dispose of the June grass by putting it in a location to utilize it's natural capabilities.

Interested in Learning More?

If you're interested in how we manage June grass at the locations we service, or want to know more about our company please see our About Us page and give us a call. We are happy to discuss how we can serve beachfront neighborhoods and condominium complexes. We have been in the area a long time and have a resume full of customer service driven relationships. We are always intersted in partnering with new properties and working to create incredible beach front experiences. Until next time, see you at the beach.