Dune Restoration

Coastal dunes are large mounds of sand deposited on the landward side of a beach. Dune formation is reliant on coastal winds blowing in the onshore direction, allowing the sand to accumulate when it encounters an obstacle on the beach (Bralower et al. n.d.). Coastal dunes can be classified into primary and secondary dunes. Primary dunes are created by direct sand supply from the beach while secondary dunes are formed from alterations to the primary dunes and are located further landward. The highly variable processes of sand deposition, accretion, and erosion result in a diversity of dune morphologies, including blowouts, foredunes, parabolic dunes, and dune fields (Sloss et al. 2012). Dune vegetation, which often forms symbiotic relationships with fungi, helps stabilize the sand and reduce dune erosion (Charbonneau et al. 2016). Coastal dunes face threats from increased urbanization, beach erosion, conversion into developed areas, and shoreline hardening (Carboni et al. 2009). Dune restoration helps stabilize dunes to protect the valuable ecosystem services they provide. The most common dune restoration techniques include dredging sand to build up the dune, planting grasses, and installing fencing around the dune (Olander et al. 2021).