Southbaysail.com
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The goal of the Great South Bay program is to gain a thorough understanding of the biogeochemistry of the Bay and its effect on pelagic and benthic communities. Currently this effort is supported by the NY Department of State in which observations and models are combined in support of the development of an ecosystem based management approach to address the ecological problems besetting the Bay
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Given the dynamic nature of barrier island breaches it was expected that there would be noticeable changes in the morphology of the breach at Old Inlet after the aerial photos that Rich Giannotti and I took on November 3rd.
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Pre- Hurricane Sandy
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November 3rd 2012
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Those photos were taken 4 days after hurricane Sandy and so we had the idea of a general follow-up aerial shoot at some subsequent time. However, Sandy was followed 9 days later by a reasonably intense nor-easter which certainly had the potential to change the inlet substantially. So Rich and I made a second aerial survey of the area on November 11, 2012 when it was clear that major changes had occurred in the new inlet and these are shown in the photos below. This photo shoot took place during ebb tide as compared to the first survey which took place during flood.
Below is the series of aerial photos of the New Inlet from the south looking north across Fire Island. The aerial photography has been a community effort with pilots Rich Giannotti, Don Richards, Charlie Flagg and Vinny Petruso and photographers Charlie Flagg, Mike Ferrigno, Rich Weismann, Justin Flagg, Brian Wasser, Jamie Shreeve and John Vahey.
Below is the series of aerial photos of the New Inlet from the south looking north across Fire Island. The aerial photography has been a community effort with pilots Rich Giannotti, Don Richards, Charlie Flagg and Vinny Petruso and photographers Charlie Flagg, Mike Ferrigno, Rich Weismann, Justin Flagg, Brian Wasser, Jamie Shreeve and John Vahey.
There were substantial changes to both the main channel through Fire Island and the sand islands in the bay. The initial cut through the island had been fairly straight with the deepest part along the eastern edge. As a result of natural adjustment but probably mostly as a result of the nor-easter, the channel now has a decided offset to the west between the ocean and bay ends of the channel. The offset appears confined to the bay end of the channel while the ocean end does not seem to have moved. Also there is less evidence of a single deep channel.
The most visible changes to the breach occurred in the sand islands that had been formed by dune sands carried into the bay. Right after Sandy, the sand islands were north of Fire Island and west of the inlet with channels between the sand islands, Fire Island and Pelican Island. After the nor-easter the connection with the bay which had been to the west just north of Fire Island had completely switched directions and now makes a connection to the old Old Inlet channel to the east passing under and through the dock as shown in the last photo below. As part of this change was the build-up of what appears to be a fairly high sand island that all but connects Fire Island to Pelican Island with a small channel that passes under the Pelican Island dock. This change in flow pattern now connects the inlet to the rest of Great South Bay through a deeper channel with greater conveyance and that may extend the natural lifetime of the inlet.
The most visible changes to the breach occurred in the sand islands that had been formed by dune sands carried into the bay. Right after Sandy, the sand islands were north of Fire Island and west of the inlet with channels between the sand islands, Fire Island and Pelican Island. After the nor-easter the connection with the bay which had been to the west just north of Fire Island had completely switched directions and now makes a connection to the old Old Inlet channel to the east passing under and through the dock as shown in the last photo below. As part of this change was the build-up of what appears to be a fairly high sand island that all but connects Fire Island to Pelican Island with a small channel that passes under the Pelican Island dock. This change in flow pattern now connects the inlet to the rest of Great South Bay through a deeper channel with greater conveyance and that may extend the natural lifetime of the inlet.
With Mark Lang's help a series of overflights of the New Inlet
have produced detailed photo mosaics of the inlet and back bay area.
have produced detailed photo mosaics of the inlet and back bay area.
February 14th 2013
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March 29th 2013
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May 12th 2013
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April 17th 2013
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All Photos courtesy of the Great South Bay Project.
They have done a tremendous amount of research on the Breach and the
effects it is having on the Great South Bay.
The work is continuing we will be doing a follow up on the effect on water levels and salinity
In the meantime to learn more go to.
http://po.msrc.sunysb.edu/GSB/
Southbaysail.com thanks
The Great South Bay Project for the work they are doing
and for sharing it with our visitors.
Follow up salinity article here
They have done a tremendous amount of research on the Breach and the
effects it is having on the Great South Bay.
The work is continuing we will be doing a follow up on the effect on water levels and salinity
In the meantime to learn more go to.
http://po.msrc.sunysb.edu/GSB/
Southbaysail.com thanks
The Great South Bay Project for the work they are doing
and for sharing it with our visitors.
Follow up salinity article here
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