How Algarve’s Barrier Islands Went from Erosion Risk to Wildlife Success

On the shifting sandbanks of southern Portugal, a six-year experiment has transformed erosion-prone barrier islands into a blueprint for coastal resilience—and now locals and authorities face the challenge of nurturing its gains.

A model for protected coastal ecosystems

Across the Ria Formosa lagoon, the LIFE Barrier Islands initiative has delivered on its promise of replicable conservation. Spearheaded by SPEA and backed by the EU and national funds, the project has woven together habitat restoration, biosecurity measures and public engagement. By blending scientific rigor with local know-how, this programme has set a new standard for managing fragile dune systems in regions from Aveiro to Setúbal.

Reviving Audouin’s gull colony

When field teams first landed on Ilha Deserta in 2019, the world’s most endangered gull species teetered at roughly 2,500 nesting pairs. By the 2024 breeding season, over 7,000 nests dotted the sandbanks, prompting a natural expansion to Ilha da Culatra that mitigates risks of overcrowding. Removing feral cats and installing discreet rodent traps under a robust biosecurity plan proved crucial to reducing predation and boosting fledgling survival.

Reinventing wildlife rescue in the Algarve

At the RIAS Wildlife Recovery and Research Center, digital X-rays and climate-controlled enclosures now complement decades of veterinary expertise. Between 2019 and 2024 more than 7,500 seabirds received treatment, with 3,200 returning to freedom. Identifying botulism as the primary cause of paretic syndrome has allowed Portuguese experts to co-author an international therapeutic protocol, elevating RIAS to a reference point for marine bird rehabilitation.

Safeguarding fragile grey dunes

Grey dune systems on Ilha Deserta once threatened by invasive ice plant have been restored through innovative shading techniques and manual removal. Over 1.6 hectares of critical habitat now support native grasses that trap windblown sand and anchor the shoreline. Mapping invasives on nearby islands spurred similar clearances on Tavira and Armona, extending the ripple effects of a project that respects natural sediment flows and dynamic island migration.

Charting a path beyond EU funding

With LIFE funding ending in July 2025, the future hinges on formalising a larger Ria Formosa marine SPA and rolling out the Post-LIFE Conservation Plan. Success will depend on sustained cooperation among the ICNF, municipal councils, fishing communities and civic volunteers. Joggers agreeing to stay on marked trails, skippers observing seasonal closures and property owners resisting illegal seawalls will all play their part in keeping the dunes rising and the lagoon’s biodiversity thriving.

By showcasing how nature-based solutions can outpace concrete defences, the Algarve’s barrier islands are poised to become a living laboratory for Europe’s next wave of coastal policy. If local stakeholders maintain momentum, Portugal’s southern sandbanks may emerge in 2030 not only as a tourist magnet but also as an emblem of ecological ingenuity.