Dead Trees on Longboat Key
March 20, 2014
Janet and I had already gotten into the habit of calling it Dead Trees when we found out that locals and repeat vacationers know this area as Beer Can Beach. Also known as Greer Island Beach, it includes a stretch of coastline where once-living mangroves and Australian pines protected the sands from erosion. I only realized this winter that at least some of the trees were mangroves when I noticed some “dead” trees sprouting new growth. The name Beer Can Beach or Beer Can Island Beach comes from the parties that boaters throw when they anchor in an area around the tip of Long Boat Key. There is probably a longer story about the dead trees, but I haven’t found it.
Romancing Reality 
Nice picture!
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March 20, 2014 at 8:32 PM
Thank you, Alex.
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March 20, 2014 at 8:41 PM
You are welcome! Do come by my blog someday! Cheers!
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March 20, 2014 at 11:03 PM
What a cool place! Unfortunate the boaters have created the other reputation. I really love the symbolism in this photograph. It certainly makes you think about rising oceans and our eroding coastlines, as well as the struggle to survive for these trees.
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March 21, 2014 at 8:27 AM
Thank you, Mark. What happened here may be only a local issue, but as you say, it is symbolic of climate change. My guess—ignorant as it could be—is that if people hadn’t cut down the mangroves, they would not have had to plant the Australian pines for erosion control. Australian pines (which are not true pines but Casuarina species) are invasive in Florida. See http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/18. Why people cut down mangroves I cannot understand. They continue to do it around here even though they are liable for stiff fines. Here’s a good link about the value of mangroves: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/habitats/mangroves.htm.
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March 21, 2014 at 10:21 AM
That’s a shame. As I understand it, mangroves provide some very critical, protective habitat for local aquatic life.
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March 22, 2014 at 1:13 PM