NCCOS-funded research has revealed that natural, managed, and constructed (or man-made) dunes differ in internal structure, and suggest that these dune types may provide different levels of protection to beachfront communities that can be vulnerable to erosion and storm surge. https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/whats-inside-a-dune-influences-erosion-and-storm-resilience-in-north-carolinas-outer-banks/