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?

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 even when the bloom occurs (that's what you call it when it's really noticeable). If you have special allergies or health conditions, 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 kid comes out of the water, and his parents see green stuff on his bathing suit they usually 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 and natural phosphorus is present. Florida and Alabama's coastlines are warm, clear and calm - june grass loves those things. So, when the water temps are right and the sun is shining bright june grass shows up on the beach. But, where does june grass come from?

You can see the darker green section of June grass in the water during late spring along the coast of Florida and Alabama.

Where Does June Grass Come From?

OK, so where does june grass come from? Does it bloom here in the shallow waters where we swim; or does it grow away from shore and then break up and wash up on the beach? The answer is... both. As I said earlier, June grass needs 3 things: clear and warm water, lots of sunlight and nutrients. We know that the Florida and Alabama coastline is warm, but what about the deeper Gulf waters? The Gulf of Mexico is extremely warm as a whole. Compared to other bodies of water it ranks near the top in terms of overall temperature. One of the main reasons that the Gulf is so warm as a whole is because it is so shallow. A large portion of the gulf is continental shelf (more than 30% is between 1-600 feet deep). Couple that with an abundance of sunchine and nutrient rich phosphorus from organic matter upcycle and sediment deposits from the Mississippi River and you've got an ideal breeding ground for off shore algae beds. At certain times of the year there are large algae beds growing at various locations in the Gulf. As tides and wind break these beds into smaller pieces they tend to drift toward the beach and wash up on our shoreline.

Other times, the bloom occurs locally. These occurences are created the same way as the larger beds off shore, except on a smaller scale. 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. 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, micro organisms rely on this stuff. 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.

People playing in the water in Destin, Florida. You can see the June grass turning the water a little darker in certain spots.

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.

Here is an updated shot taken in early July. The June grass is gone.

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. Avoid an unnecessary issue and dispose of the June grass by putting it in a location to utilize it's natural capabilities.

Sometimes confused with June grass, Sargassum is a leafy berry yielding grass that can also wash ashore. Not typically considered harmful to humans, it can be irritating as it decomposes on the beach.

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.