Frederique Beroset MBA & M.S. in Biology

What is a Dune Health Assessment?

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How Dune Doctors Develops Tailored Solutions for Your Coastal Property

Article Highlight: Coastal Communities sell one main product: their beach! Invest in your native coastal landscape to address erosion-prone areas, build protection, and enhance the aesthetics of your dune system.

Key Takeaway: Because the Dune Ecosystem and Beach are heavily regulated environments, work with a Coastal Restoration Expert to be in full compliance with local, state and federal regulations.

Application: Schedule your Dune Health Assessment today, so you are fully aware of the state of your coastal landscape and can act accordingly.

What is a Dune Health Assessment

What is a Dune Health Assessment? Typically, when clients contact Dune Doctors, they are eager to protect their property by enhancing their native coastal landscape. A phrase we hear a lot is: “Can you tell me if my dunes are the best they can be?” The first step towards building coastal resiliency is to have our team perform a Dune Health Assessment. This first site visit will help determine if there are any failure points or erosion-prone areas throughout your dune system. While walking your property, our Coastal Restoration Experts will measure its berm-building capacity, determine the health levels of existing vegetation, and develop a long-term vision for its continuous improvement through maintenance. The Dune Health Assessment provides the data necessary to develop tailored solutions presented back to you in our four-phase proposal called the Dune Master Plan™. To help you better understand how our Coastal Restoration Experts evaluate your dune system during this first visit, we have listed the 22 symptoms we look for.

What is the Dune Master PlanTM? 

The Dune Master PlanTM (DMPTM) is a comprehensive and proactive long-term plan for coastal resiliency. Much like a landscape architect’s plan, the DMPTM provides a roadmap to ‘what good looks like’ and allows the flexibility of both scope and time based on your needs and budget. The four phases that make up the Dune Master PlanTM are Preservation, Protection, Optimization, and Maintenance.

Symptoms that Phase 1: Preservation Addresses

Thatch

Thatch is the build-up of dead plant material around the base of the plants. It is highly flammable when dry; and, if wet, thatch provides a hospitable environment for diseases that can kill the plant.  

dry, dead plant material clumps around the base of dune-building vegetation.
Thatch

Dune Fires

If dead plant material (thatch) is allowed to accumulate throughout the dune, a single spark (from cigarettes or fireworks) can ignite dry thatch and damage living plants in the process. From experience, native dune vegetation does not recover well from a fire. 

Fire Fighters visit Property in Destin whose dune caught on fire
Watch the Testimonial of the client who was impacted by a dune fire here.

Invasive Plants

Invasive vegetation can crowd out the dune environment. They will compete with and may risk displacing the native plants. Because invasive plants have not coevolved with the environment, they do not fulfill the same ecological functions as native vegetation. They cannot anchor sand in place as effectively and should be removed carefully.

Beach Vitex is a Common Invasive Plant
to the Gulf Coast.

Protected Scrub Zone

The scrub zone, boasting woody shrubs and trees, can sometimes be negatively impacted by aggressive vines that grow over the canopy. The vines block sunlight and the trees begin to wither. The height of certain trees may also occasionally obscure an ocean view, so some property owners may wish to trim down their scrub zone. Due to the valuable root systems of the scrub zone, the Department of Environmental Protection only allows Coastal Restoration Experts to remove 12 inches max from the height of the scrub zone’s canopy.

NOTE: Any unauthorized work in the scrub zone will result in legal consequences, in addition to severely threatening the stability of the property’s dune.   

What Solutions does Phase 1: Preservation Provide? 

The work we recommend implanting in Phase 1 addresses the issues listed above by revitalizing the native vegetation on your existing dune.

Through Phase 1, Dune Doctors:

  • Delicately removes any thatch (dead plant material), build-up of trash, and detrimental plants from the dune system.
  • After extracting these harmful elements, our restoration experts fertilize the native coastal vegetation to strengthen their root systems. (Click here to learn more about dune fertilization.)

Symptoms that Phase 2: Protection Addresses

Broken, Buried, or Incorrectly Installed Sand Fences 

When our Coastal Restoration Experts encounter sand fences on a property, they are typically in three different states: broken, buried, or incorrectly installed.

Remember to encourage Beach Goers to not store items on sand fences to avoid breaking the structure.

What are the impacts of broken, buried, or incorrectly installed sand fences?

  • The jagged edges of broken fences present a safety hazard to beachgoers and wildlife.
  • If sand has buried the fences, the fences can no longer capture moving sand, slowing down the process of an even sand accretion across the width of the property.
  • If sand fences are installed incorrectly and do not follow environmental regulations, the installation will also pose a hazard to wildlife and beachgoers and may result in legal consequences. 

No Dune System

A coastal property without a dune system risks the loss of ground-level structures at the slightest storm. Storm surge will quickly plow landward and crash full force into waterfront buildings, resulting in structural, economic (indefinite closure will cause revenue loss), and environmental damages (the wave action will carry debris along the coast and further inland). 

Dune Doctors constructed a dune for the property above. Click here to view the transformation!

Regulatory Issues 

Regional, state, and federal authorities oversee the protection and development of the coastline. Obtaining the necessary permits from these different organizations can be challenging, but unauthorized restoration efforts may result in hefty fines. 

Attempting to contact a Regulatory Agent?
Click here to access our contact list for FL & AL.

What Solutions does Phase 2: Protection Present? 

Through Phase 2, Dune Doctors resolves the issues above by:

  1. Obtaining all necessary permits on your behalf to build a new dune system or implement work seaward of your existing dune.
  2. Installing environmentally compliant sand fences and dune-stabilizing native grasses and flowers to encourage sand accretion (build-up) in the shape of a berm (a berm is a continuous sand barrier even in distribution and height that extends along the entire property’s width).
  3. Installing no-trespassing signs to discourage beachgoers from walking on the developing berm. (Click here to find out more ways to protect your berm.)
  4. Roping off a pathway from the bottom of the boardwalk through the vegetation to the fences to limit foot traffic erosion and create safe passage for beachgoers.

Symptoms that Phase 3: Optimization Addresses

Bare Areas 

If a dune has un-vegetated, bare areas, wind, and wave action will erode the loose sand resulting in irregular depressions throughout the dune. Vegetation is critical to stabilizing dune systems. Ground covers exhibit sprawling, surface-level growth that retains sand while other dune-building grasses weave complex root systems through the core of the dune, anchoring the sand in place. 

No Native Vegetation 

After a storm, we sometimes find that communities relocate large piles of sand to replace eroded dunes, which is excellent; however, without installing native vegetation to stabilize the new mound, the loose sand will rapidly erode at the slightest storm event. Bare sand mounds cannot protect coastal communities against the pounding action of storm surge (continue reading about the formation of dunes here).

Foot Paths 

Coastal vegetation is the primary coastal force stabilizing dunes and protective berms. While the plants can survive temporary inundation, scorching sunlight, and salt spray, they cannot survive the localized pressure of a footstep. Foot traffic kills vegetation and, in the process, weakens the dune.

Boardwalks 

The regulatory purpose of a boardwalk is to provide safe passage to beachgoers while not disturbing the development of coastal dunes. Erosion occurs around a boardwalk in two main ways.

  • If a dune has evolved past the boardwalk, foot traffic will create a non-vegetated depression en route to the beach.
  • Another common issue is stormwater run-off channeling below the boardwalk. If not addressed, this destructive water flow will undermine the stability of the boardwalk by eroding the sand from around its foundation. 

Sand Relocation  

Development has impacted coastal wind flows, resulting in odd sand distribution patterns. Often, wind erodes sand from around the corners of waterfront buildings or paved pathways and pushes the sediment to undesirable places like the community pool deck. If not addressed, this erosion may result in cracked foundations and create a costly structural and safety hazard. 

Dune Blowouts and Dune Cliffs

A dune blowout occurs when a storm surge breaches the dune system and severely erodes sand along the water’s pathway. A dune cliff is when water does not breach, but it carves out the dune, resulting in an unnaturally shaped vertical wall of sand. Both severely threaten the integrity of the dune system and present safety hazards to beachgoers and wildlife (How to Protect beachgoers from Collapsing Dunes).

Loss of Beach  

During a storm, destructive wave action erodes sand from the beach and usually deposits the sediment in pockets right offshore. If given a few weeks, wave and wind action will likely push some of the sand back landward. As scary as a severely eroded beach may look, we often encourage people to be patient and wait for the beach to start recovering its width naturally. 

What Solutions does Phase 3: Optimization Provide?

Phase 3 addresses the issues above by optimizing and strengthening your existing coastal dune:

  1. Dune Doctors identifies erosion threats and, if needed, strategizes construction solutions, including installing a new boardwalk that accounts for the dune’s seaward evolution or the placement of large volumes of sand to repair erosion.
  2. Our Coastal Restoration Experts install native plants to stabilize bare areas throughout the dune and property.
  3. Dune Doctors plant coastal flowers to enhance the natural aesthetics of the dune and increase plant diversity. View our plant selection here.

Issues that Phase 4 Maintenance Addresses  

Aesthetics

 Coastal communities sell one main product: their beach. Unruly dune environments can take away from the aesthetic appeal and may negatively impact renters’ perception of the property.

Invasive Pests 

 The presence of pests indicates a trash extraction problem. Invasive predators like rats can quickly colonize a dune system (especially one overrun with dead plant material) and attract snakes, lowering the aesthetic value of the coastal property and threatening native wildlife. 

Irrigation 

 An irrigation system that reaches the dune undermines the capacity of native vegetation to stabilize the sand. A consistent surface-level source of moisture will result in weaker, shorter root systems that cannot effectively protect against erosion. Any irrigation will nullify Dune Doctors’ plant survival guarantee. 

Fertilization

Coastal vegetation has evolved to survive its nutrient-deficient environment, but, sometimes, well-meaning homeowners attempt to encourage their plants’ growth by applying the wrong fertilizer (intended for composite soil) on their dune. The fertilizer will wash away before the plants can absorb any nutrients. This incompatible fertilizer unnecessarily pollutes the environment and is a chemical hazard for beachgoers and wildlife.  

Issues that Phase 4 Maintenance Addresses  

Through Phase 4, Dune Doctors addresses all of the issues above by:

  1. Performing quarterly visits to monitor the development of your dune system and make recommendations based on our findings. The visits align with the growing cycle of coastal vegetation.
  2. Gently removing invasive plant species, debris, and dead plant material (thatch) while the plants are dormant.
  3. Fertilizing the existing plants while the plants are active.
  4. Installing native coastal flowers and stabilizing grasses to bolster both the dune’s aesthetics and integrity.

Schedule Your Dune Health Assessment Today! 

If you detect that one or more of these issues may be present on your coastal property, contact Dune Doctors to request a Dune Health Assessment. Our team will walk your coastal landscape with you and point out problem areas that can be corrected and improved. Rest assured that the Dune Master Plan™ can resolve all the issues above. Reach out to our team today to schedule your first site visit, and let us develop a long-term vision for your coastal property together! 

The Formation, Erosion & Maintenance of Coastal Dunes

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An introduction to the different forces that shape your protective coastal landscape.

Article Highlight: Wind, water, and vegetation are the three primary forces that contribute to the formation and erosion of coastal dunes. 

Key Takeaway: While the contour of the coastline changes daily, proactive waterfront homeowners can work with Dune Doctors to implement an environment-specific plan that aligns with coastal cycles and encourages sand to accumulate on their property.

Application: Call 866-386-3737 today to request a Dune Health Assessment of your coastal property. Have our team repair erosion-prone areas on your existing dune and determine the optimal location to initiate another natural barrier. 

How do Coastal Dunes Form?

In short, coastal dunes are vegetated sand mounds that form along beaches where sand is available. As different coastal forces carry sand onto and along the beach, particles collide with obstacles, like sand fences and native grasses, and drop, accumulating where they fall and initiating a dune. If undisturbed, native vegetation will hold the sand in place, and the dune will slowly increase in size. Over time, multiple rows of dunes will form, between the beach and the woody scrub zone. Wind and water action continuously reshape the coastal environment, so dunes tend to grow, shrink, and move following prevailing winds. 

Why Should Coastal Communities Care about their Dunes?

Communities that have introduced permanent structures into this dynamic ecosystem benefit greatly from working with Coastal Restoration Experts to limit dune movement. Dunes are nature’s first line of defense against the destructive impacts of storm surge. To achieve sustainable resiliency, Dune Doctors encourages coastal homeowners to view their dune system as a valuable asset that must be invested in, respected, and cared for. Through the strategic restoration and maintenance of this protective landscape, Dune Doctors helps waterfront property owners strengthen their existing dune(s), add environment-specific sand to correct erosion, and initiate new, continuous berms (a continuous protective barrier even in height and sand distribution) that encourage sand accretion (sand build-up) across the width of their property. 

What Physical Forces Build and Erode the Coastline?

Two physical forces push sand along the beach: winds and tides. The wind moves sand in two ways by blowing it along the beach and by forming waves. The wind speed, the duration of the wind, and the fetch (how wide the body of wind is) all determine how much sand the wind will move and the size and strength of the waves it will form. Waves crash onto the beach and deposit or erode sand from the swash zone (the area where waves run up and down the beach). A wave deposits sand on the beach if it loses most of its energy while pushing landward. The daily variance in the tide level also plays a critical role by exposing different beach sections to wind and wave action. The tide can also transport sediment. Whether or not these forces will take (erode) or deposit sand (accrete) is determined by a combination of environmental factors, including geological predisposition to erosion or accretion, the width and slope of the beach, moisture, vegetation present, weather, and sand availability. 

How Does Wind Transport Sediment to Build Coastal Dunes? 

The process by which wind pushes sand is called aeolian transportation, and it occurs in three forms: suspension, saltation, and creep. Suspension is when sand is picked up and carried in the wind. Saltation is when the sand particles bounce along the beach, while creep is when sand particles collide and push each other. Coastal homeowners can take advantage of aeolian transportation by working with Dune Doctors to strategically introduce obstacles (sand fencing and vegetation) along their beach to build up and stabilize sand on their property. 

How Does Wave Action Help Build Sand Dunes? 

The impact of waves starts offshore in the surf zone, where waves crest and break due to friction between wind and the surface of the water and the decrease in depth, as the water approaches the beach. This breaking motion creates turbulence that generates currents and swirls sand upward.  The currents can flow parallel (called a longshore current), perpendicular, or cross-shore called undertows and rip currents. These currents then push the sand while some waves, called the swash, surge up through the swash zone between high and low watermarks on the beach. When the swash has greater forwarding momentum than retreating energy, some of the water sinks into the beach and deposits wave-borne particles in place. During a single storm, sand particles can move from the beach to sand bars way offshore in minutes or be pushed a couple of miles down the beach in a matter of hours.  

How Does the Tide Help Build Sand Dunes? 

Tides play two roles in sand movement it can transport sediment and distribute wave energy by changing the depth of the water and the position of the shoreline. The moon’s gravitational pull and earth’s rotational force determine the tide’s height. Depending on whether there is a high or low tide, the beach will be narrower or broader, exposing different beach areas to the processes discussed above. The daily changes in the tide level are why the coast’s contour may look completely different from morning to night.

How do Coastal Plants Encourage the Formation of Dunes? 

Pioneer grasses like Sea Oats and Panic Grass grow towards the sea and are the first to stabilize a habitat after a destructive storm. These plants have complex root systems that weave through the sand, creating massive webs that anchor dunes in place. In addition to the grasses, other plants also play vital ecological roles in sustaining robust dunes. Ground covers help retain sand while flowers improve the environment’s aesthetics and provide food and protection for beach wildlife. Orencio Duran and Hans J. Hermann developed a set of equations that analyzed the ratio between the “dune erosion rate and vegetation growth velocity (4).” In 2013, Duran extended his modeling to include ecological and physical effects observing fundamental interactions between wind flow, sand transport, topography, the shoreline, and vegetation. His research argued that “plant zonation (plant zonation is the distribution or arrangement of plants in a habitat determined by environmental factors), rather than sediment supply, controls coastal vulnerability to storms by determining maximum dune size (4).” Through his research, Duran observes that without vegetation coastal dunes will only reach a limited height before dissipating. In other words, Duran recognizes that dunes are critical barriers that protect waterfront communities from destructive waves and suggests that dune-building vegetation plays a critical role in determining the size and resiliency of coastal dunes. 

How to Align Restoration Efforts with Coastal Forces

The best way to build sustainable coastal resiliency is to strategize restoration efforts that take physical (wind and waves) cycles and ecological (vegetation) processes into account. Different solutions include beach renourishment, dune construction, sand fencing, and coastal vegetation. Communities with eroding shorelines may invest in beach renourishment and artificially add sand to widen their beach. A greater beach area heightens protection against storm surge and increases sediment availability for dune growth. Property owners with no protective dune can work with Dune Doctors to artificially construct a dune by placing and sculpting sand berms and then stabilizing the loose sand with vegetation. Alternatively, or in conjunction to beach renourishment, communities can install sand fences paired with dune-building plants to limit sand movement and initiate a protective berm in a location most advantageous to them. Finally, investing in high-quality plants is critical to sustaining protection against storm surge. Dune Doctors has a dune maintenance program that provides season-specific care based on the yearly cycle of dune-building grasses. Reach out to Dune Doctors today to schedule a Dune Health Assessment and have our coastal restoration team evaluate the potential failure points of your dune system and develop personalized solutions that reflect the unique environmental condition of your property. 

References and Additional Resources:

1. “Beach and Shoreface Nourishment.” Climate Adapt, OURCOAST II Project, https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/.

2. “Coastal Effects of Tides.” U.S. Army Engineer Institute for Water Resources (IWR), https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/Missions/Coasts/Tales-of-the-Coast/Coastal-Dynamics/Tides/.

3. Davis, Richard Albert. “Depositional Systems: An Introduction to Sedimentology and Stratigraphy.” Google Books, Prentice Hall, https://books.google.com/books/about/Depositional_systems.html?id=x08SAQAAIAAJ.

4. Durán, Orencio, and Laura J. Moore. “Vegetation Controls on the Maximum Size of Coastal Dunes.” PNAS, National Academy of Sciences, 22 Oct. 2013, https://www.pnas.org/content/110/43/17217.

5. US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Why Does the Ocean Have Waves?” NOAA’s National Ocean Service, 1 June 2013, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/wavesinocean.html. 

6. “Voyager: Why Does Sand Move and How Does It Get from Place to Place?” Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1 May 2008, https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/voyager-why-does-sand-move-and-how-does-it-get-place-place.

9 Coastal Plants that Initiate, Restore and Stabilize Coastal Dunes

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An introduction to 9 native plants that grow on the pioneer and primary dunes of the Gulf Coast.

Article Highlight: Native vegetation help initiate, develop, stabilize, and enhance coastal dunes. Proactive coastal homeowners that invest in native coastal plants reap the benefit of a synergistic, healthy dune system.

Key Takeaway: Each coastal plant serves an ecological function. Therefore, it is critical to use a diverse sampling of native vegetation when restoring dune ecosystems.

Application: Have Dune Doctors acquire and install dune-stabilizing vegetation on your property. Our method guarantees that 95% of plants will be thriving at the 3-month mark.

The Gulf Coast’s plant life is varied and dynamic. Along high-energy beaches with pounding wave action, vegetation typically does not spread seaward into the swash zone (where waves run up the beach). The swash zone is the boundary between land and water. Landward of the swash zone lies the rest of the beach and the pioneer dune. Vegetation that initiates the pioneer dune (the developing dune closest to the water) are well-adapted for periods of temporary flooding and can survive being submerged by abnormally high tides and floods. As dune-building grasses grow seaward, sand accumulates around them resulting in the initiation of the pioneer dune. As pioneer dunes increase in height, they will grow and start to connect with other pioneer dunes, eventually forming a new primary dune (the established dune closest to the water).

Mature dunes (secondary, tertiary, etc.) lie behind the primary dune and hold a greater plant diversity because they face less environmental stressors (salt spray, temporary inundation, sand blasts). As these dunes accumulate more organic material, woody vegetation will colonize them, developing into a scrub zone and, eventually, a maritime forest. Given the variety of plants that grow throughout these unique coastal areas, appropriate plant selection and installation are critical. The vegetation needed to restore a primary dune is different than what would be used to restore the scrub zone.

Dune Doctors focuses on helping communities achieve sustainable coastal resiliency by enhancing the protective role coastal dunes play in limiting the impact of destructive storm surge. Therefore, we focus on addressing erosion-prone areas throughout the primary dune and on initiating the development of sand berms. Located seaward of the primary dune, sand berms are continuous sand barriers that accumulate sand evenly in height and distribution across the width of the property. We initiate sand berms with the combined use of sand fences & native vegetation. In both cases, our Coastal Restoration Experts work with native vegetation that typically grows on the pioneer and primary dune. Our plant selections are custom-grown and help accelerate sand accretion (the build-up of sand) and stabilize dune systems. Below are the nine coastal plants that our Coastal Restoration Experts routinely work with.

THE GRASSES – DUNE INITIATION & STABILIZATION

When exploring the Gulf Coast, you will typically encounter 3 kinds of plants that propagate (spread) towards the sea: the Sea Oat, Panic Grass and Saltmeadow Cordgrass. As pioneer plants, they have adapted to the extremes of the coastal environment and can be considered first responders because they are the first plants to colonize the beach after storm damage. They are responsible for the development of pioneer dunes, in addition to helping limit coastal erosion.

Sea Oats – Uniola Paniculata 

Sea Oats Installation by Dune Doctors

Sea Oats are the primary dune-stabilizing plant located along the Gulf Coast. This plant can survive its nutrient-poor environment because it gains mineral nutrients from the sand, salt spray, and its decaying matter. According to Carrie Stevenson the Coastal Sustainability Agent for the UF Escambia County Extension Office, Sea Oats’ roots can grow roughly 40ft and extend in all directions in search of the scarce nutrients and water buried within the core of the dune (8). This root growth functions as a complex web that anchors the sand in place. Sea Oats also propagate seaward via rhizomes (underground horizontal stems) that sprout new plants.

Their seeds are a source of food for beach-nesting populations including birds, crabs and beach mice. Its leaves grow from the meristem located at the plants’ crown (where the stem meets the root system). If a footstep crushes the meristem, the plant will die, and it can no longer fulfill its ecological function of holding sand in place. Signs that say “Please Stay off the Dunes” are in place to protect plants from foot traffic. 

Panic Grass – Panicum amarum

Panic Grass installation by Dune Doctors in Perdido Key Beach

Growing alongside Sea Oats in the pioneer and primary dune, the blue-ish green Panic Grass is another plant that stabilizes and builds coastal dunes. This plant mainly propagates seaward via nodes along its stem and is clump-forming (tends to grow in groups). The common name “Panic” grass does not originate from the plants’ aversion to its challenging environment but its seed-bearing PANICles (a loose branching cluster of flowers).

Research conducted by Rusty J. Rodrigues revealed how this grass is able to survive the stress imposed by salt spray and dry conditions. His testing demonstrated that Panic Grass holds a symbiotic (a mutually beneficial relationship) relationship with water-absorbing fungi present on its roots resulting in a more “efficient use of water:” drought tolerance (5). Blair Witherington describes this relationship as follows, “the water-absorbing fungi (mychorrhizae) send out microscopic tendrils (mycelia), thinner than the tiniest root, that vastly increase the cooperative (plant’s and fungi’s) surface area for absorbing water and nutrients. (10)”

Saltmeadow Cordgrass – Spartina Patens 

Saltmeadow Cordgrass is a tufted grass native to the Gulf and Atlantic Coast. The plant can survive being temporarily submerged in saltwater and is, therefore, typically the most seaward-growing plant. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the plant has adapted to this environment by secreting salt from glands in its leaves (6).

The plant exhibits a rhizomatous clumping growth pattern that results in dense tufts of grass and helps absorb some of the destructive energy brought forth by waves. For this reason, Dune Doctors installs this plant in tidal marsh restorations projects as well as at the base of developing dunes along the coast. Saltmeadow Cordgrass helps limit erosion by stabilizing sand and absorbing some wave energy before it reaches land. The plant’s seeds also provides food for beach-nesting populations and algae that grows on the leaf’s surface provides food for grazers like the periwinkle snail.  

GROUND COVERS – SAND RETENTION

The ground covers exhibit sprawling growth along the surface of the dune and retain sand in place allowing for the dune to increase in height.

Beach Elder Iva imbricata

Beach Elder plays a critical role in restoring, stabilizing, and forming coastal dunes because of its ability to trap sand. The succulent, shrub-like perennial woody plant can reach heights of 1 to 4 ft and widths of up to 6 ft. As moving sand particles collide with the stems and accumulate in place, the portion of the stem below the surface responds to being buried by producing roots. Typically, the Beach Elder grows on the flat of the beach and helps initiate pioneer dunes.

White Morning Glory Ipomoea imperati and the Red Morning Glory (Railroad Vine) Ipomoea pes-caprae

Two Ipomoea species grow along the Gulf Coast, the Beach Morning-Glory and the Railroad Vine. Both are stoloniferous and grow horizontal stems that can grow upwards of 30ft, covering the dune’s surface. The plants play a critical role in the dune ecosystem by stabilizing sand and providing seeds for several types of wildlife, including the endangered beach mouse.

The difference between both ground covers is the shape and size of their leaves, the thickness of their stem, and the color of their flowers. White Morning Glory produces white flowers and has a velvety leaf that has three lobes. Whereas the Railroad Vine has a significantly thicker stem, purple flowers, and kidney-shaped leaves. Both plants tend to die back during the winter and return in the spring. However, they can both flower year-round depending on where they are located.

Sea Purslane Sesuvium portulacastrum 

Sea Purslane, another ground cover, is a succulent that develops from the primary dune towards the upper beach. Similar to the other ground covers, it helps limit the movement of sand along the surface of the dune. The sea purslane blooms year-round, but their starlike flowers do not have petals, only five purple sepals (the portion of the flower that typically encloses petals). The Sea Purslane’s value extends beyond the dunes! The plant is consumed worldwide and has the common culinary name: Sea Pickle. 

FLOWERS – VIBRANT FOOD SOURCES

The dunes also host a colorful arrangement of flowers whose seeds feed beach nesting birds, mammals, crustaceans, and insects. In addition to fulfilling this critical ecological function, these flowers also add color, increasing the aesthetic value of the dune. These salt-tolerant beauties can grow on the seaward facing slope of the primary dune.

Dune Sunflower – Helianthus debilis & the Indian Blanket Flower – Gaillardia aristata

Dune Sunflowers and Indian Blanket Flowers are part of the aster family because their flowers are composite. Composite flowers produce two kinds of flowers: tightly packed brown disc flowers that make up the “eye” of the flower and enlarged ray flowers that function as petals! These brightly-colored composite flowers attract pollinators, and the plants’ tendency to grow in dense patches provides shelter for dune wildlife. These plants are highly salt-tolerant and can grow on the primary dune. While they play a minor role in dune-stabilization, they are critical to the native dune wildlife. 

How Dune Doctors Selects the Native Vegetation for our Restoration Projects

When strategically initiating or stabilizing a coastal dune, Dune Doctors uses a variety of plants with different characteristics that each fulfill a specific role. Our team considers the ecological and human-oriented functions such as erosion control, stabilization, and aesthetic enhancement. The Florida Sea Grant Fund and the University of Florida demonstrated that the geographic source of the dune-stabilizing vegetation was a significant factor in the plants’ survival rate when planted in a different location. Therefore, to increase survival rates and protect native ecosystems, Dune Doctors works with regional vegetation coevolved with the environment undergoing restoration.

The dune’s vegetation is the primary natural force limiting sand movement and countering erosion. Because dune systems play a critical role in protecting waterfront communities from destructive wave actions, governmental authorities protect dune-stabilizing native plants on local, state, and federal levels. In all cases, Dune Doctors strives to restore the protective dune environment by using hybrid strategies that pair native vegetation with other construction efforts like sand fencing and sand placement.

Our team of Coastal Restoration Experts can help you obtain proper permitting and implement all restoration efforts on your behalf. Speak with us today at 866-386-6767.

References and Additional Resources:

1. Barnett, Michael R., and David W. Crewz. Common Coastal Plants in Florida: A Guide to Planting and Maintenance. University Press of Florida, 1997.

2. Brown, Stephen. “Helianthus Debilis Family: Asteraceae – Blogs.ifas.ufl.edu.” Ufl.edu, University of Florida, https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/leeco/files/2017/05/lee-county-beach_dune_sunflower_Helianthus_debilis.pdf. 

3. Hazell, Joy, et al. Sea Oats Uniola Paniculata. University of Florida , https://files1.revize.com/revize/capecoralfl/document_center/Sea_Oats.pdf.

4. Miller, Debbie. Dune Restoration and Enhancement for the Florida Panhandle. University of Florida, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf%5CSG%5CSG15600.pdf.

5. Rodriguez, R., Henson, J., Van Volkenburgh, E. et al. Stress tolerance in plants via habitat-adapted symbiosis. ISME J 2, 404–416 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2007.106

6. “S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.” Scseagrant.org, S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, 2015, https://www.scseagrant.org/wp-content/uploads/Spartina-large-portrait-poster.pdf.

7. Setladge, Sharon. “Advancing Sea Oat Biology .” North Carolina Sea Grant Coast Watch, 28 Nov. 2017, https://ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/coastwatch/previous-issues/2012-2/spring-2012/advancing-sea-oat-biology-advancing-dunes/. 

8. Stevenson, Carrie, and Posted: “Weekly ‘What Is It?”: Sea Oats.” UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County, University of Florida, 12 Feb. 2021, http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/2020/10/21/weekly-what-is-it-sea-oats/. 

9. Williams, M.J. “Native Plants for Coastal Dune Restoration – NRCS.” Arcs.usda.gov, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services, 2007, https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs141p2_014913.pdf.

10. Witherington, Blair. Florida’s Living Beaches: A Guide for the Curious Beachcomber. 2nd ed., Pineapple Press.

Sand Fences: How to Build a Stronger Dune System

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  • Article Highlight: Installing sand fences and dune-stabilizing vegetation is the most efficient and economical way to build new protective dunes.
  • Key Takeaway: In Phase 2 of the Dune Master Plan™, Dune Doctors employs sand fences and native vegetation to initiate a new barrier, a berm, between the coastal homeowner and water-borne threats.
  • Take Action: Join other forward-thinking communities by calling 866-386-3737 or filling out this form to request a sand fence installation and join our waitlist today. Watch the video below to understand how sand fences build stronger dune systems. 

Why Are Coastal Dunes Important?

Healthy, well-maintained coastal dunes are natural barriers that protect communities and ecosystems from the destructive impacts of storm surge and high waves. In simplest terms, a vegetated dune is a barricade that buys time. A storm will only last so long. Therefore, the greater and healthier the dune, the longer it will take for wave action to breach it and cause damage landward. However, waterfront construction and foot traffic have changed the dynamic of where and how dunes form, leading to weakened protection and heightened erosion. Most coastal communities tend to have a dune system, whether that be an established dune or scattered mounds with sparse vegetation. To increase their protection, Homeowners and Property Managers can work with Coastal Restoration Experts to fortify and enhance this natural barrier. At Dune Doctors, we identify any established dune as the “existing dune,” and the core of coastal resiliency is to strengthen and increase this native landscape by adding berms, seaward of the existing dune.

How Do Sand Fences & Native Vegetation Counter Coastal Erosion?

The evolution of a dune system depends on the cycle of sand accretion (accumulation of sand) and erosion (loss of sand), wind patterns, storm action, sand availability and other environmental conditions. However, because of the combination of natural and man-made factors, this cycle of sand loss and sand accumulation is often unbalanced, and many areas experience heightened erosion. To help coastal communities address sand loss, Dune Doctors works with regulatory agencies to install wildlife-friendly sand fences that are optimized to capture wind-blown and wave-pushed sand. Following environmental regulations, Dune Doctors installs sand fences at a 45 degree angle in alignment with the dominant coastal wind patterns that blow along the Gulf Coast. Moving sand collides with the fences and the particles drop, temporarily accumulating around the base of the fences. While effective in capturing sand, the fences alone cannot hold the sand in place. Therefore, to successfully stabilize the shifting sand, native vegetation must be planted between the fences. As the fences capture new layers of sand, the plants grow through it and anchor it in place with their massive, web-like root systems.

Are Sand Fence Installations Enough to Achieve Coastal Resiliency?

Sand fences fulfill one critical component of achieving coastal resiliency: adding a new barrier seaward of the existing dune. However, installing sand fences without addressing erosion issues and failure points throughout the existing dune undermines the developing berm. Underlying erosion issues may include a storm runoff that drains seaward, an irrigation system that over reaches on to the dune and kills dune-stabilizing vegetation, or a footpath that cuts through the dune creating an area where storm surge is likely to breach the dune. In all three cases, any sand the fences may accrete will not make up for the ongoing erosion. Without a comprehensive approach that cares for the entire dune system, once surge erodes the developing berm, it will easily carve away at the remaining weak landscape and flood ground-level infrastructure. Therefore, the strategy of building new lines of defense needs to align with a concerted effort to optimize and enhance the rest of the dune. To solve the issues impacting an at-risk dune system and strategize ways to increase its protective value, our Coastal Restoration Experts designed the Dune Master Plan™ (DMP™) a long-term roadmap for coastal resiliency. Through four interconnected phases, the DMP™ addresses every aspect of building and maintaining a protective dune system while being in compliance with environmental regulations. The installation of sand fences and native vegetation seaward of the existing dune falls under Phase 2 of our Dune Master Plan™. To obtain a personalized DMP™ contact Dune Doctors today at 866-386-3737 or click here to fill out our contact us form. To read about the three other recommended phases that make our DMP™ a thorough, long-term vision for your protective landscape click here. 

How do Sand Fences Build Stronger Dunes?

Sand fences build stronger dunes by accelerating sand accretion and dune evolution. As sand accumulates and buries the fences, the existing dune behind the row of sand fences also gains sand. Within two to four years, enough sand will accumulate to bury the fences and cause the developing berm and existing dune to merge. Dune Doctors encourages coastal communities to continuously strengthen their native protective landscape by adding new rows of fences and dune-stabilizing vegetation each time a sand fence installation is entirely buried under 4 feet of sand. While the dune’s height is important the continuous form of the barrier is also equally critical. Storm surge will push through grooves and breaks in the protective berm, so proactive neighbors can build protection together by connecting their sand fence installations. As the dune increases in volume, width and length, the likelihood that storm surge will breach it decreases.

How Do Sand Fences Create “Sand Banks”

Sand fences paired with native protective vegetation initiate a “sand bank” in the shape of a continuous protective berm that acts as a buffer between your property and destructive wave action. Over time, the fences capture wind-blown sand, and the plants stabilize each new layer, enhancing and accelerating sand accretion. Think of this “sand bank” as a financial institution that allows for storm events to “withdraw” from your sand savings instead of eroding the dune closest to your property or the foundation of your building. The dune closest to the building, is the dune-of-last-resort. If surge erodes it, the destructive wave action will likely cause extensive damages and force the property to be shut down until all repairs are implemented. Therefore, building up your “sand bank” is critical to avoid these costly damages.

What if a Storm Damages the Sand Fence Installation?

If a storm erodes a portion of the developing berm and compromises the sand fence installation, that does not mean the restoration project failed. The damages are often proof of the installation’s success because that berm, built with free sand, absorbed the brunt of the storm surge and protected waterfront infrastructure. After an installation by Dune Doctors sustains damage, our team repairs the reusable fences and replaces the rest to continue the process of sand accretion. While it takes two to four years for the fences to accumulate 4ft of sand, enough to bury its posts, the protection the installation provides starts early on. Greater protection is achieved with each new layer of sand. If 11 sand fences capture only 1ft of sand across the entire installation, that means the property’s protective barrier increased by an estimated 8 tons of sand or roughly four average-sized dump trucks worth of sand. Destructive storms are increasing in frequency, but coastal communities can mitigate future losses by building a sacrificial berm that can hold back destructive waves long enough for the storm to pass without breaching the dune system and causing damage landward.

Proper Sand Fence Installation is Critical for the Safety of Beachgoers and Wildlife 

Sand Fences should never be installed on the beach with the purpose of sectioning off your property as wildlife may find its way there and become disoriented and trapped by the fencing. Coastal homeowners who endanger wildlife or beachgoers with poor fence installations can be heavily fined and will face further legal consequences if any harm occurs. We always recommend following all the guidelines designed by local and federal regulating authorities. As per those guidelines, our sections of fences are angled to allow the free movement of animals. At Dune Doctors, we can help you navigate the policies designed to protect wildlife and obtain the necessary permits for sand fence installation on your behalf. The coastline is in a constant state of change as numerous powerful forces contribute to the cycle of sand accretion and erosion. The challenge is designing and implementing ways to channel this natural sand relocation and determine where its placement will be the most helpful. Dune Doctors has over twenty years of experience helping coastal communities use sand fences and native vegetation to achieve the highest level of sustainable coastal resiliency and can help you do the same.

How to Combat Coastal Erosion Through Dune Management

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Article Highlight: The Dune Master Plan™ is a long-term roadmap for coastal resiliency that streamlines the restoration and ongoing management of a dune system into four integrated phases.

Key Takeaway: The dune ecosystem is a natural barrier against destructive storm surge along the Gulf Coast. Proactive homeowners can enlist Dune Doctors’ help to stabilize, strengthen and maintain this native protective landscape.

Fast Application: Request a site visit today by filling out this form or calling Dune Doctors at 866-386-3737. After visiting your property to identify its strengths and any weaknesses, our Coastal Restoration Experts will develop a personalized Dune Master Plan™.

The Dune Master Plan™

Above is a depiction of how the four interconnected phases continuously build upon each other to achieve and sustain the highest level of coastal resiliency.

Coastal dunes are critical to the survival of waterfront communities and are therefore heavily-regulated and require ongoing care. For over twenty years, Dune Doctors has worked alongside local and federal agencies to restore and naturally fortify this native landscape while encouraging property owners to regard it as a valuable asset that must be invested in, respected, and cared for. Through thousands of successful projects, Dune Doctors has streamlined its expertise into the Dune Master Plan™, a long-term roadmap for coastal resiliency that addresses every aspect of building and maintaining a protective dune system in compliance with environmental regulations. Below is an introduction to the four phases of the Dune Master Plan™. To learn more about our expertise click here. 

Phase 1: Preservation – The Foundation of the Dune Master Plan™

Frederique Beroset stands in front of a pile of debris removed from a sand dune.
In the image above, Frederique Beroset stands next to a pile of thatch and debris extracted during the implementation of Phase 1 at Alys Beach, a coastal community in Panama City Beach. Click here to learn more about their 14 year transformation.

Most properties along the Gulf Coast have an existing dune system, whether that be a dune with established vegetation or bare mounds with sparse grasses. Phase 1 of the Dune Master Plan™ (DMP™) focuses on this existing dune system to preserve and revitalize the native plants that currently stabilize it. The complex root systems of these coastal plants are the only force holding the property’s dune in place. Until further restoration efforts can be implemented, this existing dune is often the property’s only protection against storm surge (Click here to learn more about the plants that stabilize coastal dunes). Through Phase 1, Dune Doctors revitalizes the existing dune-stabilizing plants to prepare a healthy foundation for the other phases of the DMP™.

What does Phase 1 Entail?

• First, Dune Doctors removes any build-up of trash, thatch (dead plant material), and invasive vines from the dune system.
• After the harmful elements are extracted, our restoration experts fertilize the native coastal vegetation to strengthen their root systems. (Click here to learn more about dune fertilization.)

What is the Outcome of Phase 1: Preservation?

When a proactive homeowner selects to invest in Phase 1, their immediate gain is a safer and more aesthetically pleasing environment for beachgoers. Their long-term outcome is a resilient web of deep, healthy root systems that anchors their dune in place. Through Preservation, Dune Doctors lessens the presence of invasive animals (Click here to learn how to deal with invasive rats and snakes), extracts the invasive vegetation, and removes the conditions that can lead to dune fires and the spread of plant diseases (Click here to learn more about the benefits of Phase 1). In addition to cleaning the dune, our Coastal Restoration Experts also apply a seaweed-based fertilizer to encourage plant growth. Preservation should be a one-time investment if Dune Doctors consistently maintains the dune. Otherwise, Phase 1 must be implemented, on average, every 3 years.

Phase 2: Protection – The Core of Coastal Resiliency

In the image above, Dune Doctors installs sand fences that are strategically aligned and spaced to initiate capture sand in the shape of a continuous berm for Sand Cliffs Condominiums, in Panama City Beach, Florida. Click here to learn more.

After revitalizing the native vegetation, Dune Doctors focuses on initiating new lines of defense (berms) between the homeowner and the water. In Protection: Phase 2 of the Dune Master Plan™, our Coastal Restoration Experts work with local and federal environmental authorities to install wildlife-friendly sand fences and dune-stabilizing plants seaward of the existing dune (click here to learn more about sand fences). Dune Doctors’ strategic installation method accelerates the rate at which berms develop. As the sand fences trap moving sand, the plants stabilize it. Through Phase 2 of the Dune Master Plan™, Dune Doctors naturally fortifies the native coastal landscape by adding a continuous berm that functions as a barrier against storm surge and helps replenish eroding beaches.

What Does Protection: Phase 2 Entail?

• First, Dune Doctors installs both environmentally compliant sand fences and dune-stabilizing native grasses and flowers.
• Next, our Coastal Restoration Experts install no-trespassing signs to discourage beachgoers from walking on the developing berm. (Click here to find out more ways to protect your developing berm.)
• Finally, if the boardwalk ends before the fence installation, Dune Doctors ropes off a pathway from the bottom of the boardwalk through the fences to limit foot traffic erosion and create safe passage for beachgoers.

What is the Outcome of Phase 2: Protection?

When a proactive homeowner selects Protection: Phase 2, they create a sacrificial barrier of free sand that can help absorb the impacts of potential future storms, mitigating damages to the dune closest to the property and the foundation of their coastal home. On average, it takes between two to six years for enough wind-blown and surge-borne sand to accumulate and cover properly installed sand fences. Once less than one foot of sand fences remains to be buried, our Coastal Restoration Experts recommend installing an additional row to initiate the next berm. Because the fences create a continuous berm, Dune Doctors strongly encourages proactive neighbors to achieve protection together by connecting their fence installations.

Phase 3: Optimization – The Solution to Erosion-prone Areas

In the image above, a conveyer belt places sand on the beach to repair erosion. Click here to learn how Dune Doctors managed the placement of over 250 trucks full of sand to restore Sand Cliffs Condominium’s native landscape.

Optimization: Phase 3 is the most expansive phase of the Dune Master Plan™ and aims to strengthen the most critical barrier against storm surge: the existing dune. As the final barrier between the homeowner and water-borne threats, the most landward dune is a highly valuable asset that must be invested in and cared for. Dune Doctors uses Phase 3 to strategize sustainable and scalable projects that repair failure points and erosion-prone areas throughout the dune. Phase 3 may include adding sand to fill in depressions to aiding in the design of boardwalks that account for the dune’s seaward progression. Click here to learn more about how boardwalk design impacts coastal resiliency.

What does Optimization: Phase 3 entail?

  • First, Dune Doctors identifies erosion threats and, if needed, engages our panel of architects, engineers, and construction partners to deliver the ideal solution.
  • Second, our Coastal Restoration Experts install native plants to stabilize bare areas.
  • Third, if the dune has progressed past the boardwalk, Dune Doctors aids in designing a new boardwalk that takes the dune’s evolution into account and in correcting any damages to the dune during the removal of the old boardwalk and installation of the new one.
  • Fourth, Dune Doctors plants coastal flowers to enhance the natural aesthetics of the dune and increase plant diversity. View our plant selection here.

What is the Outcome of Phase 3: Optimization?

When a proactive homeowner selects Optimization: Phase 3, Dune Doctors works to identify and address erosion threats posed to their protective native landscape and the foundation of their coastal property. Optimization is a one-time investment unless the dune sustains any damage. Click here to learn more about the different solutions for varying levels of erosion.

Phase 4: Maintenance – Longterm Management for Coastal Resiliency

Dune Doctors removes invasive vegetation from the existing dune.
In the image above, one of our Dune Technicians extracts invasive vegetation and dead plant material as part of the yearly Dune Maintenance Program.

All four phases of the Dune Master Plan™ cultivate the dune system to create the ideal environment for sand to accumulate and for native vegetation to grow and spread. Through Maintenance: Phase 4, Dune Doctors monitors and strengthens the growing dune system, including the existing dune and developing berm. Uninterrupted dune maintenance counters the erosive forces acting upon this native protective landscape and sustains the investments made through the other phases. Dune Maintenance requires a specialized understanding of the ecosystem. Click here to learn the 7 ways that Dune Maintenance differs from Traditional Lawn Care Practices.

What does Maintenance: Phase 4 entail?

• Dune Doctors performs quarterly visits to monitor the development of the dune system and make recommendations based on our findings.
• Our Coastal Restoration Experts remove invasive plant species, debris, and dead plant material (thatch).
• Dune Doctors fertilizes the existing plants and installs native coastal flowers and grasses.

What is the Outcome of Phase 4: Maintenance?

By selecting Maintenance: Phase 4, the proactive homeowner gains uninterrupted support from our Coastal Restoration Experts who manage all aspects of the environment to encourage dune growth. Click here to request support with Environmental Regulation Agencies. 

Request a Dune Master Plan™ Today!

The Dune Master Plan™ empowers you to better understand the ongoing needs of your native landscape and provides a comprehensive action plan to achieve and sustain coastal resiliency. Healthy, well-maintained, and established dunes are powerful barriers that help block storm surge from moving inland. Knowing this, proactive communities work with Dune Doctors to build and maintain their native lines of defense. Reach out today to obtain your personalized Dune Master Plan™. Enlist our Coastal Restoration Experts to handle all the permitting requirements and ongoing needs of your protective native landscape. Contact us through this form or call 866-386-3737.

How Orange Beach in Alabama Was Spared During Hurricane Sally

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Article Highlight: SeaChase Condominiums in Orange Beach, Alabama, emerged with 90% of their dune intact due to the combined efforts of beach renourishment and consistent dune maintenance.

Key Takeaway: To maximize the potential return of beach renourishment, communities must install and maintain native vegetation to stabilize their sand placements and strengthen their protective dunes.

Fast Application: Sea oat growing season overlaps with hurricane season. The best time to naturally fortify and stabilize sand placements and existing dunes is during the summer. Strengthen the integrity of your protective dune by having our team stabilize bare areas with new vegetation, remove debris, remove dead plant material, and fertilize the existing vegetation.

How did One Community’s Dune Emerge 90% Intact after Hurricane Sally?

SeaShase Condominiums, located in Orange Beach, Alabama, took the direct hit of two massive hurricanes: Ivan in 2004 and Sally in 2020. Falling on the exact same day but 16 years apart, both hurricanes caused extensive structural damage to SeaChase Condominiums’ buildings, but the impact levels were different for the coastal ecosystem. While Hurricane Ivan completely eroded the original dune, Hurricane Sally only damaged 10% of their naturally-fortified dune, a system maintained by Dune Doctors. This enormous contrast in damage levels can be attributed primarily to the difference in the beach’s width and the shape of their protective dune after sustained restoration efforts. Hurricane Sally’s storm surge had a significantly more expansive beach to run across before reaching their healthy, established dune system. The width of the beach slowed down the surge while the dune’s gentle incline and strong core blocked it from moving inland. The result was zero surge-based flooding damage to the building and a dune system that was 90% intact.

Swipe through Before-and-After Pictures of Hurricane Sally Damage Restoration

What are the Benefits of Implementing a Maintenance Program for your Protective Dune System?

To follow in the successful footsteps of SeaChase Condominiums, implement a dune maintenance program to stabilize and optimize your sand placements and existing dune. A thriving, manicured landscape is the result of management. Likewise, a dune system that can mitigate the impact of storm surge is also the result of strategic, long-term maintenance. The barrier strength of a coastal dune is determined by the health of the vegetation that anchors the sand in place, continue reading about coastal vegetation. The plants’ complex root systems form interconnected webs that reach deep into the dune’s core. However, to sustain and encourage this expansive root growth, the vegetation requires an environment-specific maintenance program that provides it with necessary nutrients and care, learn more about dune maintenance. By investing in the vegetation, communities can strengthen the integrity of their coastal dune and increase their resiliency against storm surge. As the coastal ecosystem is a heavily regulated environment, first consult with Dune Doctors to develop a maintenance program specific to your property. 

Image of SeaChase Condominiums with review by Sarah de Lazzer

SeaChase Condominiums’ Coastal Stewardship & Alabama’s Commitment to their Coastal Communities

Located in Baldwin County, Alabama, SeaChase Condominiums benefited from the local government’s concerted efforts to renourish their coastline. Over the years, Baldwin County has implemented renourishment efforts to increase the beach’s width. Beach nourishment is a massive project that is highly efficient at combatting erosion but simultaneously expensive and not frequent. Within the scope of their regional and national budgets, Alabama’s government can only do so much to help protect water-front residents. Recognizing the critical importance of preserving and developing the sand given to them by Baldwin County authorities, SeaChase Condominiums’ HOA became proactive coastal stewards and restored their natural dune environment through a series of projects and ongoing maintenance with Dune Doctors. They acquired partial funding from the Alabama Coastal Heritage Foundation to have our coastal restoration experts stabilize their granted sand, build a new protective berm, and maintain the development of their entire protective dune system. 

What damage did Hurricane Sally Cause to SeaChase Condominiums? 

After Hurricane Sally’s direct hit to Baldwin County, the community experienced extensive structural damage from the powerful winds. Still, Alabama’s protective dunes were successful at blocking the storm surge from moving further inland for most condominiums and residential properties. Our Dune Maintenance Manager Larry Watson stated that SeaChase Condominiums lost a little over 50 sand fences and 10% of their original dune. Our maintenance team handled the minimal damage by installing vegetation in the eroded area and repairing the sand fences. This remarkable outcome results from SeaChase Condominiums’ proactive coastal stewardship and their commitment to building upon Alabama’s beach renourishment efforts. By complying with environmental regulations and maintaining close communication with local government, coastal communities can secure public benefits that help protect and preserve their water-front investments. 

Dune Doctors are the Leading Coastal Restoration Experts in Baldwin County, Alabama

Dune Doctors is a coastal erosion control firm specialized in planning, constructing, and maintaining native ecosystems and protective landscapes for government, commercial, and residential properties in Alabama. Dune Doctors works closely with Baldwin County officials and environmental agents from the Alabama Gulf State Parks to harvest and develop native dune-stabilizing plants. We use the native plants to restore dune ecosystems for condominiums in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and residential properties along Fort Morgan road. For over 20 years, Dune Doctors has preserved, protected, and maintained Alabama’s coastal communities by naturally fortifying their protective dune systems. Contact the Alabama Coastal Heritage Trust to request funding for private coastal restoration projects in Baldwin County. For sand fence installation, debris removal, dune fertilization, sea oat installation, sand addition, and environmental regulation consulting in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama, contact Dune Doctors today. Dune Doctors is proud to be the leading coastal restoration expert and coastal erosion control firm in Baldwin County, Alabama.