The purpose of this study is to quantify natural shrub thicket gaps to better elucidate successional processes on barrier islands. Specific questions to be answered include: Do gap formation and gap characteristics vary with position and thicket age on Hog Island? Do the gap colonizing community characteristics vary among mid-island gaps, bay side gaps, and the adjacent intact thickets? Do edaphic characteristics vary between the mid-island and bay side gaps? The results will elucidate the importance of gaps for accelerating successional processes in communities with dense, low diversity seral stages. Further, the results will contribute to the understanding of successional processes that occur in maritime communities.