The berm on a Sanibel Island beach after a storm. The berm is the where the average highest tide reaches on the beach. Because there had been large waves from a storm, there was a pronounced dropoff in the sand. Waves move the sand around a lot each year, bringing it in at times and taking it back out to sea at other times.
We were amazed to see this Purple sand on the beach at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Beach in northern California. We traced it to purple-colored rocks in the cliffs at the surf line.
Grass Family Pensacola, FL Sea Oats are so vitally important to the dune ecosystems that many communities will impose $500 fines to people who pick, dig, or otherwise damage them. These plants have an extensive root system which helps hold the sand grains of the dunes, thus preventing erosion by wind and water. I doubt if these dunes or the the pier in the background at Pensacola Beach survived Hurricane Ivan's 20-foot storm surge and huge waves in September 2004. ***Update Dec. 2004 --- The pier is gone, as are miles of dunes and their protective sea oats.
