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Sandy Beaches
Pittwater's beaches are sandy, and most are fringed by low dunes or the remnants of such landforms. Many of our dunes were previously far more extensive than they are today, but were used for grazing or mined for their mineral content in the 1950's and 60's.
Sandy beaches and their dune systems are an accumulation of sediment deposited by waves and wind. This bank of sand is may be eroded by the next storm, transported by currents and rips offshore and is generally returned to the beach under calmer conditions. Despite appearing a barren landscape, there is an incredible variety of life in this habitat. Pittwater's ocean beaches are:
- Palm Beach
- Whale Beach
- Avalon Beach
- Bilgola Beach
- Newport Beach
- Bungan Beach
- Mona Vale Beach
- Warriewood Beach
- Turrimetta Beach
Coastal dunes provide the transition from a marine to a terrestrial environment. Dunes restrict the intrusion of salt spray and waves inland, and act as an emergency reservoir of sand for storms. They are places where plants have adapted to extreme foredune conditions in amazing ways, to create shelter and habitat for small native animals. In recent years, the value of our coastal dune systems is better understood. In Pittwater, there are several community volunteer projects actively restoring our coastal sand dune systems including:
- Avalon Dunes
- Mona Vale Dunes
Updated: 02 Dec 2011