The beach and dunes of Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge are at the vanguard of sea level rise and other climate impacts. The foredune is an important feature that buffers the effects of extreme storms, and the entire dune system protects the estuarine systems behind it. UFSWS and its partners have posed the question of what our dunes will do in response to sea level rise and extreme events, and what measures we can take to increase resiliency. To answer these questions, the refuge has engaged in a collaborative, six-year research project known as the Humboldt Coastal Resilience Project (formerly, Climate Ready Project). The project has been funded by the State Coastal Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management, and the Ocean Protection Council. Geographically the project spans the Eureka littoral cell. A littoral cell is a stretch of coastline characterized by a closed sediment circulation cell, i.e. sediment does not enter or leave the cell. The Eureka littoral cell stretches from Trinidad to Centerville beach.
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