The study looked at how a spit (a long, narrow landform) is growing while an adjacent barrier island is eroding at Cape Lookout, North Carolina. They found that the spit is getting longer and wider, with sediment coming from the east or from nearby currents. The spit affects the regional sediment balance and protects a nearby area from erosion, but also causes erosion in another section due to lack of sediment. This shows that changes in sediment input can greatly impact coastal landforms.