Jeannine Richards, an assistant professor of ecology and environmental studies at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), has initiated seven research projects through The Water School in the past three years. Her work focuses on whether plants can play a significant role in preserving Florida’s beaches, which face increasing threats from hurricanes and erosion.
Richards and her students are investigating how natural beach vegetation is affected by storms and what restoration methods are most effective after such events. They aim to understand how beaches recover and whether human intervention can accelerate this process. She credits undergraduate and graduate students for their contributions, highlighting FGCU’s commitment to providing hands-on research opportunities.
“Plants have the ability to start proto-dunes by trapping sand,” Richards said. To study this, she and her team installed fence posts among different plant species to measure sand accumulation rates across species. Their fieldwork takes place at Bowditch Point Park on Fort Myers Beach, Lover’s Key State Park in Bonita Springs, and Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park near Naples.
Research into recent storm impacts showed that developed and undeveloped beaches experienced a decline in plant cover and species diversity after hurricanes Ian, Helene, and Milton. Some plant species disappeared while others became more dominant; railroad vine, seashore dropseed, and coastal ground cherry were among those that persisted. The study found that dry conditions and beach renourishment slowed recovery. According to their findings, beach elder and sea oats were the most effective at trapping sand. The researchers plan to publish these results soon.
Richards also noted the advantages of new technology: “Drones are a game changer,” she said. “We can monitor a much larger area with drones than ground-based observations.” Nathan Hewitt, an environmental science graduate student, is working with Richards to compare satellite imagery with drone data for monitoring dune restoration projects along Collier County coastlines.
Since 2017, four major hurricanes have impacted Southwest Florida’s shores. In response, FGCU researchers are examining the best timing for planting native dune species to improve storm resilience. Environmental studies majors Grace Hardmeyer and Rachel Dean are helping determine if winter or spring planting leads to better establishment before hurricane season.
In another project with Brian Bovard from The Water School, Richards explored using saltwater as an alternative to herbicides for weed control along canals planted with salt-tolerant grasses. Biology student Sequoia Lipman presented their initial findings at a conference; they discovered that higher concentrations of saltwater could kill some weeds but plan further testing on its broader effects.
Richards is also collaborating with John Griffis on using tissue culture propagation—growing plants in sterile lab settings—to reproduce rare dune species needed for restoration efforts. With support from Reed Gilmore (’23) and biology major Denisse Paez—and partnerships with Naples Botanical Garden and the USDA seed repository—the team is evaluating how many genetically distinct source plants are necessary for maintaining healthy genetic diversity during large-scale restoration efforts.
“We want genetic diversity in plant populations,” Richards said about avoiding over-reliance on clones that might increase vulnerability to disease or stress.
