As a PhD student in the Department of Physical Geography, my research focuses on expanding our knowledge of decadal-scale coastal dune development. 

Coastal dune systems form delicate and unique ecosystems at the interface between land and sea. Here, plants act as ecosystem engineers, shaping dune morphology while interacting with wind and waves to create a complex, self-organized first line of flood defense. However, management strategies focused on dune stabilization and the presence of landward infrastructure cause degradation of biodiversity and natural dune dynamics (known as coastal squeeze). Without adaptive coastal management, these systems risk losing their capacity to naturally adapt and grow in response to rising sea levels. To counteract these negative developments, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly implemented, aiming to restore natural dynamics and incorporate ecological and geomorphological processes into coastal zone management. However, sustainable implementation requires a better understanding of how coastal dunes naturally develop over decadal timescales and how human activities such as coastal nourishments, artificial dune notches, or the construction of beach pavilions may alter patterns of dune growth or decay. 

Therefore, by investigating both abiotic and biotic processes, my research aims to assess how short-term interactions between sand, wind, and vegetation drive coastal dune development over longer timescales and the relative importance of human interventions to this development. Improving our understanding of these biogeomorphological processes and their interactions across temporal scales will help us improve numerical coastal dune models and ultimately support the implementation and design of nature-based coastal protection strategies.