💁🏻‍♀️ TIL: 🏖️📉 #California has lost roughly 60% of its coastal sand dunes since the 1850s, a loss of about 442 km².

Researchers used historical #maps, aerial #photos, and #lidar #data tracked by #machinelearning to measure the decline. Most losses came from development, #erosion, and invasive grasses, but some dunes expanded by 15 km² .

👉 zmescience.com/science/news-sc…

#coast #pacific #ocean #dunes #sanddunes #climate #climatechange #conservation #habitats #wildlife #environment #storms #restoration #science #geology

California’s Coastal Dunes Are Vanishing. Over 60% Have Disappeared Since 1850

The loss is accelerating and leaving entire ecosystems vulenrable.

^{Saima May Sidik (ZME Science)}