Sea oats play a vital role of creating beach dunes by collecting blowing sands. The resulting dunes serve as cover for a number of living organisms and provide food for migrant birds. Unfortunately this valuable resource is eroded by tropical storms, hurricanes and beach visitors.

In October 2009 four teams from the senior class of Mosley High School in Panama City, along with their Coach Winster Chester, collected sea oat seed at Panama City Beach, which were then used to grow sea oats plants by Roger Tripplet.  A contest was held to see which team could harvest the most sea oats.  More than 2300 sea oats were then planted by the students, helping to form and maintain sand dunes and control beach erosion along Panama City Beach.