Coastal strand communities typically occur in narrow to wide strips along the back side of the primary dune of a beach.  They are characterized as wind-deposited coastal dunes that occur on deep sands.  Vegetation is frequently dwarfed due to pruning from salt spray (Florida Natural Areas Inventory, 1990).  Characteristics of the coastal strand community in Brevard County vary somewhat from the north end of the county to the south end.  Along portions of Cape Canaveral broad, low flats dominated by grasses occur behind the primary dune.  Along the majority of the county's beaches, vegetation in the coastal strand typically consists of dense, low thickets of saw palmetto, sea grapes, nakedwood, necklace pod, Spanish bayonet, prickly-pear cactus, and other woody species.  In some areas these dense woody thickets form a mosaic, mixed with open patches of sea oats, hairgrass, dune sunflower, and other grasses or herbaceous species (Johnson and Barbour, 1990).  Some individuals treat the open herbaceous areas as a separate community called coastal grassland.  Coastal strand generally transitions into coastal scrub or maritime hammock landward of the primary dune (Taylor, 1998).  Animals of special interest present in coastal strand communities include Florida scrub-jay, Eastern indigo snake and gopher tortoise (Prusak, personal observation).

The role of fire in coastal strand communities is not well documented.  The majority of authors cite salt tolerance and storm impacts as the primary shaping force for coastal strand.  Fire will move through the open grassy areas quickly and at relatively low intensity.  Dense stands of saw palmetto and woody shrubs tend to burn with considerable intensity when accumulations of palmetto thatch are present, particularly during periods of low humidity or high winds.  However, some of the species found in coastal stand such as sea grapes, necklace pod, beach sunflower, and several of the succulent herbaceous species burn poorly and do not promote the rapid spread of fire (Florida Natural Areas Inventory, 1990; Johnson and Barbour, 1990).