The final step will be cloning the superior plants in a laboratory using micropropagation technology to mass produce super sea oats. We've developed a cloning technique for sea oats that allows us to take one sea oat with superior characteristics and replicate it, such that all the offspring are genetically identical to the parent plant. It's important that we clone the best sea oats. Giving the humble sea oat a hand in protecting dunes is important, Kane said, because the coastline is one of the most valuable resources in Florida. Visitors come to enjoy the coastline and, in the last 30 years, residents have increasingly crowded the coastline.
Dunes are the front line of defense from wind, water, tropical storms and hurricanes.
Without the dunes, the damage that would occur during storms and hurricanes, particularly in developed areas, would be catastrophic. Return To Top Of Archived Releases. Go To Current UF News. .