Barrier islands provide natural protection for mainland coastal communities by reducing storm surge inundation and dampening wave energy. In addition to storm damage reduction, they offer critical habitats for a variety of species such as shorebirds, sea turtles and beach mice. Little Dauphin Island is a relic spit that is detached from the larger barrier island Dauphin Island, located off the coast of Alabama. The island is uninhabited and serves as an important nesting and foraging area for coastal bird species as part of the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Historically, there has been no management interventions on the island; however, habitat quality has deteriorated due to erosion during extreme storms such as Hurricane Ivan (2004), Hurricane Katrina (2005) and more recently Hurricane Sally (2020). Management of the island requires detailed observations and predictive models to optimize sand placement strategies and increase resilience. This study applies process-based numerical models to simulate fair-weather sediment transport and storm-driven beach and dune evolution. Five proposed restoration scenarios were considered: a no-action scenario, tidal inlet channel realignment, sand motor nourishment, traditional beach and dune nourishment, and construction of an offshore borrow area. The model results show how to leverage the natural sediment dynamics of the system combined with restoration to reduce storm impacts (erosion, breaching) while preserving key ecological habitats for shorebirds. The study highlights the levels of effectiveness for different types of nourishment strategies as a result of hydrodynamic processes in this understudied type of semi-enclosed back-bay environment as opposed to an ocean-facing barrier island system.