I think that most people who have been to Peanut Island will agree that
the the lengthy list of Mollusks found there (detailed on our Jacksonville
Shell
Club Web Page) is a direct result of the fact that the island is immediately
adjacent to the Palm Beach Inlet and that the Gulf Stream comes amazingly
close to that locale.  Consequently, those ever-active veligers are always
repopulating this habitat.

In regards to the so-called die-offs (grass & Strombus) - There is more at
work
here than the island "improvements."  While the island gets more than its
share of seawater with each tidal change, it has been demonstrated that
the salinity of the Intercoastal does make a difference (too much rain
equals
a lot of run-off plus even more from the everglades). I have personally seen
the
results - lots of dead Strombus alatus and S. pugilis.

Also, the Peanut Island habitat has been in a constant flux for many
years.  The northern sandbar & flats were formerly another island in
it'self.  I am sure that veteran Palm Beach Shell Club members can
attest to this.

While it is easy to point a finger at the Army Corps of Engineers reading
the plan of action, one can see that they, surprisingly have the best
interests of everyone and everything considered.  No matter what happens
in regards to the actual island, there is no reason that it shouldn't
regain it's prominance as the "place to go" on the east coast of Florida.

Bill Frank
1865 Debutante Dr.
Jacksonville, Florida 32246
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