The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of nourishment of beaches with sand from off-shore sources. The study consists of an integrated review of available literature, put together by a consortium of expert scientists with a broad knowledge of beach ecosystems, on two major topics: (1) the description of the Flemish beach ecosystem. (2) a preliminary evaluation of known and possible effects of beach nourishment. (3) identification of gaps in present knowledge on (1) and (2) (4) drawing conclusions and giving advise for future research.