The Shoreline Studies Program at VIMS established a beach and dune monitoring program for nine sites around the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay (Milligan et al., 2005). These sites were monitored twice yearly for four years (2001-2004). In addition to three years of relatively calm conditions, these data included the impact of Hurricane Isabel, a nearly 100-yr event, on the Bay’s shorelines. The shoreline’s change due to the storm and their subsequent short-term recovery was documented by this data. However, since the end of the monitoring program, other events have impacted Chesapeake Bay shorelines. In order to document the longer-term recovery of these systems, additional monitoring is necessary. Several of these sites are man-influenced and have upland development behind the dune. Understanding storm impacts and shoreline recovery is critical knowledge when determining the suitability of living shoreline options (i.e. beach/dune) in higher energy environments. In addition, the overall stability of these sites and their response to physical forces can provide important information when developing guidelines for beach and dune encroachment
