barrier island

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  Gulf Breeze is located between Pensacola on the north and Santa Rosa Island on the south.
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  A diversity of gulls, terns and various shorebirds can be found year-round feeding at the shore.
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  The initial step in restoration of deflated sand dunes is to use structures that can accumulate sand. Dune building fences can be erected in order to trap sand and reconstruct new dunes.
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  The road to the fortifications bisects the narrow barrier island.
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  Fort Pickens is located at the wide tip of the barrier island. Runways at the Naval Air Station can be seen in the lower right hand corner of the photograph.
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  The boardwalk leads from Johnson Beach Road to the Gulf.
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  Gulf Islands National Seashore is open year-round. A dune crossover is recommended to save vegetation and wearing down of the dune.
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  There is little wave action on the sound side.
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  There is a boardwalk on the Gulf side of the turn-around leading to the beach.
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  For nature lovers, the park is a good place to begin an exploration of the barrier island ecosystem.
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  The boardwalk area adjacent to the bandshell features small shops and restaurants.
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  This aerial shows the road that goes the length of Santa Rosa Island. All beach areas can be reached by road, but the road can't be seen from the water.
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  A two lane road runs through the middle of the island.
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  Lichens and mosses grown on the scrub pine trucks.
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  The sand pine scrub is a xeric, or exceedingly, dry, sandy community with a sparse understory of shrubby, evergreen oaks and an overstory of the sand pine.