Since 2000, Dune Doctors has been entrusted by fellow coastal stewards to deliver hundreds of government, commercial and residential beach restoration projects along the coastlines of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Our founder Frederique Beroset has never backed down from a challenge and takes on projects of varying scopes, budgets, and sizes. With every restoration project came the opportunity to hone Dune Doctors’ expertise in the pursuit of delivering the highest level possible of sustainable coastal resiliency. We welcome you to scroll through the years to see projects that helped shape our company into who we are today.
We have included the Dune Master Plan™ Phases each client implemented for their property. Below is an explanation of what each acronym means:
- P1 – Phase 1 Preservation: Revitalizing the existing vegetation
- P2 – Phase 2 Protection: Initiating new protective berms
- P3 – Phase 3 Optimization: Addressing vulnerable areas on the existing dune, adding sand, and/or replacing the boardwalk
- P4 – Phase 4 Maintenance: Sustaining development with a long-term dune management program
To learn more about how you can achieve the highest level of sustainable coastal resiliency visit our Expertise Page.
Cool Timeline
Start Date: May 9th, 2000
Frederique Beroset established Dune Doctors after years spent researching native coastal plants and developing protocols to grow underused species. With a background in plant biology, Beroset developed a vision for achieving sustainable coastal resiliency by using plants native to the area when restoring a habitat. Read more
Location: Navarre Beach, FL
Client: Commercial
DMP™ Phases Implemented : P1, P2, P3
Belle Mer has an incredible dune system that now spans over 100 ft wide. However, back in 2001, the dunes had been significantly eroded by different hurricanes. Through our efforts to sculpt an artificial dune and initiate new rows of protective berms, we stabilized the dune systems that later helped protect Belle Mer’s building from Hurricane Ivan.
Location: Navarre Beach, FL
Client: Residential
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P2, P3
Installing dune flowers is one of our favorite parts of beautifying protective dunes. Frederique Beroset worked with the McFarland Family to add sand to fill in depressions caused by foot traffic through their dune. Dune Doctors then stabilized the newly placed sand and landscaped the side of their home with native flowers.
Location: South Walton County, FL
Client: Commercial
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P2, P3, P4
Since 2003, we have witnessed the incredible development of Alys Beach. Destructive hurricanes in the ’90s heavily eroded their beach and dunes, so before constructing their luxury community – Alys Beach’s management enlisted Dune Doctors to plan and rebuild their protective dunes. Today, Alys Beach’s dunes and scrub zone are cared for under our maintenance program and both boast lush, healthy vegetation. Read more about Alys Beach’s dune transformation.
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
Client: Government
DMP Phases: P1
Tasked with stabilizing the dredged channel, Dune Doctors installed native vegetation in a unique checkerboard pattern along the edges of the channel. Because Texas has such nutrient-dense sand, the plants quickly colonized the channel.
Location: Destin, Florida
Client: Commercial
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P2, P3
Remember when Hurricane Ivan struck the United States’ coast twice? That storm event propelled Dune Doctors to the next level. We had to rapidly expand to meet the needs of the impacted communities. Emerald Towers was one of the condominiums affected and acted swiftly to enlist our services to construct and stabilize a new dune. To continue building protection seaward of the new dune, we installed sand fences to initiate a new berm.
Location: Destin, Florida
Client: Commercial
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P2, P3
When it comes to dune restoration, Edgewater Condominium’s HOA spares no expense. After the early 2000’s hurricanes, Edgewater’s HOA swiftly implemented our Dune Master Plan™. The project resulted in a robust dune covered in vibrant vegetation. A few years later, a wayward firework landed on the dunes and sparked 30ft flames that ravaged a portion of the plants. We have been rehabilitating the area under our maintenance program, and their dunes are as strong as ever.
Location: 30A Walton County, Florida
Client: Residential
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P2, P3
We love this property because they give us Bud’s Best Cookies every time we stop to check on their dunes. (Take note, ya’ll!) After Hurricane Ivan heavily impacted their property, the Casons added sand to replenish their eroded bluff. Dune Doctors then installed native coastal vegetation on the placed sand and a new row of sand fences seaward of the slope. Over the years, coastal forces like wave action and wind buried the sand fences. We have since initiated two other protective berms to create four lines of defense in front of the Cason home.
Location: Destin, Florida
Client: Commercial
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P2, P4
Bella Vita has caught the brunt end of so many different storms, but their dune has retained it’s slope thanks to the healthy coastal vegetation anchoring the sand in place. Dune Doctors is impressed with Bella Vita’s endurance. This project is a testament to what healthy dune-building plants can accomplish: a resilient buffer against storm surge.
Location: Orange Beach, AL
Client: Commercial
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1
In 2010, Dune Doctors was tasked with cleaning and stabilizing the bare areas on Romar Resorts’ dunes. Invasive species like Camphor Weed were colonizing the dunes and crowding out the dune-building vegetation. We extracted the dead plant material and weeds then pruned the sea oats’ flower stalks to encourage growth. Click here to learn more about invasive plants that can disrupt your dune ecosystem.
Location: Alabama Gulf State Park, AL
Planting for Protection
In 2010, Dune Doctors paired up with Baker College to host an educational event, one of many conducted at Alabama State Park. This event laid the foundation for our educational initiative Planting for Protection. Frederique Beroset has always had a passion to educate our coastal community on the importance of dune restoration. Read more about Planting for Protection.
Location: Gulf Breeze, Florida
Client: Government
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1
Deadman’s Island is actually quite alive! The state aquatic preserve was replenished with a dredging project to provide a habitat for native nesting shorebirds. In 2012, Frederique Beroset offered advice on what kind of plants would best stabilize the island, and Dune Doctors installed the vegetation to help stabilize the newly placed sand. Continue reading.
Location: Orange Beach, AL
Client: Commercial
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P2, P3, P4
SeaChase is a proactive community that continues to be engaged in their dune’s restoration and optimization processes. At SeaChase, Dune Doctors was given the opportunity to see all of our recommendations implemented from vegetating a bare section of the dune to initiating new protective berms. SeaChase is now an active member of our dune maintenance program.
Location: Pensacola Beach, FL
Client: Commercial
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P3
During a massive rain event in 2014, stormwater runoff drained from the main road into Margaritaville’s underground garage. The water had to be pumped out of the flooded garage to get to the submerged cars. To reduce the chances of this happening again, Dune Doctors built a berm next to the road to help redirect future storm waters away from Margaritaville. The Pensacola News Journal covered the event and titled the printed article “Dune Doctors to the Rescue.” Read the article here.
Location: Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
Client: Commercial
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P3
Located on Bolivar Peninsula, Seagrass Beach was battered by Hurricane Laura in August of 2020. However, the 20,000 plants we installed back in 2015 held up during the storm, and the dune did not breach. Click here to view a reaction video by the community at Seagrass Beach in response to how well their resilient dunes performed during Hurricane Laura.
Location: Pensacola Beach, FL
Client: Government
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P3
The scenic drive along the Gulf Islands National Seashore between Pensacola Beach and Navarre can sometimes be buried by wind-borne sand. To help minimize sand on the road, the state opted to change the road’s design. In 2016, Dune Doctors was tasked with safely relocating the protected coastal plants in the new pavement’s way. After completion, we stabilized the edges of the concrete to help stop sand from covering the route.
Location: Seagrove Beach, FL
Client: A Group of Private Homeowners
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P2, P3, P4
Sustainable dune ecosystems are often the result of community effort! In 2017, five proactive neighbors in Seagrove Beach tasked Dune Doctors with restoring their dunes at the same time to create one continuous berm in front of their properties.
Location: Destin, FL
Client: Commercial
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P2, P3, P4
Throughout the construction of the 1900 Ninety-Eight building, the contractors staged the materials on the beach. Once the building was completed, Dune Doctors was tasked with sifting the sand to remove any leftover debris and adding new sand to sculpt a new dune. To help build further protection, Dune Doctors installed a row of sand fence to initiate a new protective berm. Shortly after installation, Hurricane Michael made landfall. We predicted the wave action would impact if not destroy the project. However, the fences outlasted the storm and captured two feet of fresh sand. Read the case study for 1900 Ninety Eight.
Location: Navarre Beach, FL
Planting for Protection
A Day for the Dunes was an educational event hosted and sponsored by Navarre Beach Marine Science Station (NBMSS), Dune Doctors, and Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center. Local marine and coastal conservation groups put together educational stations with interactive lessons about coastal and marine ecosystems and led a beach cleanup. Under the guidance of Dune Doctors and high school students from NBMSS, roughly 500 community members planted 1,350 sea oats on Navarre Beach dunes. Read more about the event.
Location: Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Client: Commercial
DMP™ Phases Implemented: P1, P2, P3, P4
Heritage Dunes Subdivision has been with us since the beginning of Dune Doctors. By implementing all of our recommendations, they accreted over $180,000 worth of free, crystalline sand. During Hurricane Sally, their massive root systems, which have had almost 20 years to grow, protected their dunes from erosion. In fact, there was little to no damage to their dunes. Read the case study for Heritage Dunes.