The 10th Brunings Lecture with the theme “Coastal dune dynamics: measuring interactions with plants and effects of extreme events” was held on 23 January 2025. For those who missed it, or for those who’d like to see it again: please watch the videos below.

Dr Glenn Strypsteen – Vegetation and Sand: Partners in Coastal Dune Development

Coastal dunes form and evolve through a delicate balance of wind-driven sand transport and vegetation growth. Plants like marram grass play a crucial role by trapping sand and promoting growth over time. In this presentation, I will share insights from field studies that explore the interactions between planted vegetation and sediment dynamics, highlighting the seasonal variations in sand trapping efficiency and plant responses to changing conditions. These findings emphasize the importance of vegetation in enhancing the resilience of dunes as natural defenses against coastal hazards and inform strategies for sustainable dune management.

Dr Marion Tissier – High-resolution field measurements of dune erosion during storms

Conducting detailed measurements of dune erosion processes in the field is challenging because sufficiently large storms that significantly erode dunes are difficult to predict far in advance, leaving only limited time for instrument deployment. This explains why much of the current knowledge on dune erosion processes has been derived from laboratory experiments, where both the incoming wave field and bathymetry are highly simplified.

The Realdune/REFLEX field experiment was designed to bridge the gap between detailed but simplified laboratory measurements and real-world field conditions. During this experiment, two artificial dunes were constructed just above the high-water line, ensuring they would erode during more moderate, and thus more frequent, storms. Dense instrument arrays were deployed offshore and near the dunes to capture the hydrodynamic conditions and dune evolution. During the Brunings lecture, I will present the main findings of these experiments.