Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition’s CoastWatch program is providing a new opportunity for coastal residents, coastal visitors and beach walkers who want to participate in citizen science.
A webinar, titled “A new kid on the dune: the unlikely hybridization between two non-native beachgrass species in the Pacific Northwest,” will take place on Monday, June 15, at 11 a.m., and will illustrate the project and how people can get involved.
A team from Oregon State University recently discovered a hybrid beachgrass formed between two invasive and closely related beachgrass species. In Monday’s webinar, Rebecca Mostow, a Ph.D. candidate at Oregon State University, will tell the story of how this unexpected discovery was made, the potential ecosystem effects of the hybrid grass, and explain how people can help discover new hybrids and expand their understanding of this unlikely event.
The two dominant beachgrasses of the Pacific Northwest, Ammophila arenaria (European beachgrass) and A. breviligulata (American beachgrass), build tall stable dunes that increase coastal protection but threaten some native animal and plant species. For decades, these intentionally planted, but invasive grasses have presented complex tradeoffs to land managers trying to balance conservation and coastal protection. It was recently discovered that these two grass species, which have differential effects on dune shape and native plant diversity, are hybridizing.
Mostow’s research on a novel hybrid zone between the non-native beachgrasses has earned her awards and funding from the National Science Foundation, the Washington Native Plant Society and the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
To receive a link for the webinar, contact CoastWatch volunteer coordinator Jesse Jones at [email protected]
About CoastWatch
Founded in 1993, CoastWatch is a network of dedicated volunteers who monitor every foot of Oregon’s shoreline. Each CoastWatch volunteer adopts a segment of Oregon’s coast — roughly a mile in length. Volunteers are connected with universities and scientists to collect data and survey everything from sea stars, tides, birds both alive and dead, marine debris and more.
June 12, 2020 at 07:57AM
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Hybridization of non-native beachgrass is topic of webinar - Newport News Times
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