Dune erosion occurs when wind blows sand off of the dunes.
Unfortunately, beachgrass is easily killed when people walk across the dunes. When beachgrass dies, the wind is able to blow away the sand, creating dune blowouts like the one shown in this photo. Sand from the blowouts filters into inland wetlands once protected from coastal winds by the dunes. As the wetlands fill with sand, valuable habitat for wildlife disappears.