Atlantic Beach and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have nearly wiped out an invasive plant that was weakening the city's dune system and could have left the shoreline more vulnerable to storms.

The target is beach vitex, a fast-spreading species that displaces native dune plants like sea oats and railroad vine. It spreads through thick, horizontal runners that produce new roots and woody stems at each node, making it difficult to control once established, the Beach Gazette reported Thursday, Sept. 10.

The plant was growing along the edge of a Corps coastal storm risk management project in Atlantic Beach. Jessica Spencer, a biologist with the Corps Jacksonville District's Invasive Species Management Branch, led the effort to isolate and treat the population before it could spread through the dune system.

Spencer said the early response was critical because the vitex population was small and relatively isolated. Acting quickly prevented it from spreading to the point that it would require long-term management in perpetuity, she said. Future Corps construction work near the site could have carried the plant further if it had gone untreated.

Crews used a cut-and-spray herbicide method to kill the vitex. A July site visit found only 10 resprouts. Follow-up visits found new seedlings small enough to pull by hand before they could develop runners.

"Working with invasive species, it is rare to be able to eradicate a population," Spencer said. "But catching a population early enough gives us that rare opportunity."

When invasive plants replace native dune vegetation, they reduce a dune's ability to stabilize sand and make it more vulnerable during storms. Beach vitex runners can also spread toward the beach, where they may interfere with sea turtle nesting and trap hatchlings moving toward the ocean.

Steve Swann, Atlantic Beach city engineer, said the city has not found any additional areas of concern beyond the treated site. Swann said the joint effort showed that working together can prevent a problem that could severely damage the coastal dune system, calling it an efficient use of tax dollars.

The Army Corps news release, published Aug. 10, noted that federal agencies are required by executive order to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species.

Because beach vitex likely left a seedbank in the soil after years of growth, the site will need close monitoring. It may take several years without new plants before the population can be considered fully eradicated.

Adjacent property owners who spot unfamiliar plants in the dunes can report them to the Jacksonville District to support the long-term management plan.