Priceless Dollars belong in a purse

Long ago and before banks, some folks saved their dollars by keeping them in a purse The dollars of this article are not monetary, but are, in fact, the sand dollar It’s interesting to note that a crowd or large group of sand dollars is called a purse! Sand dollars play a vital role in our marine ecosystem that is priceless Their protection is important

A f t e r H u r r i c a n e I a n d e v a s t a t e d F o r t M y e r s Beach in September it also wrecked havoc on sand dollars and as a result our beaches were strewn with the grey/white remaining endoskeletons called the t e s t T h e f l a t , r o u n d e d sand dollar is a member of the same family as sea urchins, starfish, and other e c h i n o d e r m s T h e i r unique properties enable them to act as marine filters as they consume detritus, planktons, algae, crustacean larvae, and debris from the seafloor As a part of the food chain, they help to control the population of smaller invertebrates and are a food source for a few larger organisms.

A live sand dollar ranges in color from dark greys, browns, reds, greens, to purples They are covered with spines called cilia Some types of live sand dollars will excrete a yellowish substance called echinochrome If you find a sand dollar these attributes, then it is alive and you need to leave it alone and gently return it to the water immediately They cannot survive more than a couple of minutes out of the water Without water the drying up process ultimately causes the spines to fall off and it dies Only dead sand dollars are grey/white and smooth

Prior to Hurricane Ian, Fort Myers Beach had signage at all beach accesses to inform beach goers about our marine and beach life In short, the taking of live shellfish, marine life, and sand dollars was, and remains, against the law in Florida

The sand dollar has the following 4 stages of life: Egg, Larvae, Juvenile, and Adult May and June are when the sand dollars release their gametes, eggs and sperm, into the water This is called broadcast spawning The fertilized egg then goes through multiple stages It is truly miraculous when considering the beginning stages of the sand dollar occur without the benefit of any protection of the tiny egg Gestation lasts for 2 days before it enters the larvae stage.

In the larvae stage, it undergoes a process where 2 arms develop into 4, then 6, and eventually divide into 8 (Pluteus 8-arm) The larvae is floating among the plankton during this phase that lasts approximately 6 weeks It’s only protection from predators is the ability to clone itself to become a smaller target

Once the 8 arms are developed the larvae, a tiny 0 03” in size, settles to the bottom where the Juvenile metamorphosis takes place in about a week The skeleton, guts, mouth, and anus form along with the ability to feed themselves and crush sand grains

Finally, the sand dollar has achieved Adult status, eventually measuring approximately 2”-4” and with a life span of 8-10 years Small fuzzy spines coat the top and bottom of its body It moves the spines back and forth to bury itself in the sand and move food into its mouth It usually takes between one and five minutes for a sand dollar to bury itself completely in the sand When sand dollars burrow into the sand, they provide more oxygen at lower levels of the ocean floor This allows for more organisms to live and thrive in that environment, creating greater biodiversity

Externally, on the top or aboral side, petalloids, specialized tube feet, are arranged in the shape of five flower petals that are used as gills Additionally, sand dollars can move by pumping water through their pores, the “flower petal” pattern on the top of the test are the sand dollars’ pores As water and gas get pushed through the pores, it propels the sand dollar forward

There are five narrow, oval shaped holes, lunules, that pierce the sand dollars’ test One pair towards the top, one longer hole in between and a second pair towards the bottom On the bottom side there are rings, similar to those of a tree trunk, which indicate the age of the sand dollar

Threats to the sand dollar include fishing, especially bottom trawling fishing and environmental changes due to pollution and climate change Ocean acidification and reduced salinity levels have adverse effects on the reproductive cycle of the sand dollar Natural predators such as cod, flounder, sheepshead, and haddock along with sea stars, octopus, crabs and gulls are a part of the food chain But beach goers that collect live sand dollars pose a preventable threat In return, when those live sand dollars die, indiscriminate collectors are in for the putrid smell of death If caught with live sand dollars, in Florida the fine is $500 plus the possibility of 60 days of jail time

The sand dollar is a remarkable member of our SWFL ecosystem Not only is it a beautiful, unique example of marine life, but an important component of the food chain While alive, they need to be protected Sand dollars need to be kept safely in their purses! Only when they naturally reach the end of their lives should they be collected to be enjoyed for eternity