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12 ' palms , maritime live oak , and red bay with a structurally diverse understory of woody species . • Mangroves - include red , white , and black mangroves , as well as buttonwoods ; trap and stabilize intertidal sediments ; provide erosion protection ; provide aquatic habitats with the root structures ; and provide opportunities for nesting and roosting ' in the branches . • Sea grasses - serve key habitat needs and are submerged vascular plants that can form dense vegetative communities in shallow water estuaries . • Hydric Pine Flatwoods - include a pine overstory with a wetland plant understory . ( Not currently found in the Refuge . ) • Mesic Pine Flatwoods - consist of an emergent tree layer of pines with a ground layer of low vegetation . ( Not currently found in the Refuge . ) U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service , 1999 ' The most pervasive exotics within the Refuge are Australian pine and Brazilian pepper, which are scattered throughout the Refuge on natural and spoil islands , along impoundments , and in upland areas . Other exotics occurring or expected to occur on the Refuge include : torpedo grass , Bermuda grass , assorted crabgrasses , bahia grass and its relatives , barnyard and related grasses , Indian goosegrass , centipede grass , exotic Lantana camara and its hybrids , burrnut (Jamaican feverplant) , carrotwood , papayas , and air potato . Aquatic exotics have not been studied within the Refuge . ' Within the proposed restoration area , Australian pines and Brazilian pepper are present. Citrus trees (grapefruit) are the dominant vegetation within the restoration project area . r 3 . 2 . 2 Wildlife rHundreds of animal species utilize the Indian River Lagoon region . Pelican Island NWR provides habitat for 13 federally threatened and endangered wildlife species : West Indian manatee , southeastern beach mouse , green sea turtle , hawksbill sea turtle , Kemp ' s ridley sea turtle , loggerhead sea turtle , leatherback sea turtle , Atlantic salt marsh snake , eastern indigo snake , American alligator, wood stork , piping plover , and bald eagle . At least 51 wildlife species (excluding fish — see section 3 . 2 . 3) occur on the Refuge that are listed or under consideration by at least one of the following : Federal , State of Florida , Florida Committee on Rare and Endangered Plants and ' Animals , Florida Natural Areas Inventory , and Audubon Watch List for Florida . Surveys have documented the presence of the federally threatened southeastern beach mouse on the 7-acre old -field site east of Jungle Trail ( Figure 5 ) . Trapping success has varied from 1 to 4 mice in previous years , but only one mouse was trapped in 2000 . 1 Juvenile green sea turtles , manatees , and bottlenose dolphins , wading birds , and diving