Mapping Nearshore Bathymetry Along the Coast of Fire Island National Seashore

This study is designed to provide first-of-its kind data on the nearshore bathymetry within two sites (Lighthouse and Watch Hill) along Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS), to begin to address the issues of onshore/offshore transport of sand to and from the beach.

Increasing development on Fire Island, both within the communities that are inside the boundary of the park, as well as on the southern shore of the mainland of Long Island, over the last 50 years has put mounting pressure on coastal managers and engineers to attempt to stabilize the shoreline through a variety of measures, one of which includes nourishing the beach with material derived from local offshore borrow sites. There is compelling evidence derived from regional geologic framework studies that sediment located in these proposed borrow sites impact the coastal sediment budget by feeding the littoral system. However, little is truly understood about the oceanographic and sediment transport processes and pathways by which material is transported in the coastal system. A principal dataset required to increase our understanding is high-resolution bathymetry in the nearshore environment.