The threat of sea-level rise has become an issue for all coastal cities as they grapple with warming oceans, more intense storms and flooding events.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have been looking into a natural way to protect our urban beaches from sea level rise.
"One of the biggest problems currently facing coastal communities is increased flooding," explained Karina Johnston, researcher at UC Santa Barbara, and lead author on a paper in Frontiers in Marine Science, which suggests that enlisting nature to create dunes, could help protect the coast from the impacts of climate change.
The combination of sand, vegetation and wind, over time, creates dunes, explained Johnston, but many urban beaches are groomed to create a space for people to recreate.
"This acts of accumulating sand over time can help prevent sea level rise and help prevent erosion," said Johnston.
