The document summarizes research on the new inlet that formed in Fire Island after Hurricane Sandy and how it has evolved. It opened in November 2012 and researchers have been monitoring it using aerial photos, bathymetric surveys, and sensor data. The inlet has moved westward as expected and increased in size during storms but its impact on tides and water quality in the Great South Bay has been small. The bay's water levels continue to be influenced mainly by ocean forcing rather than the inlet.

1. The New Inlet and its Evolution since Sandy
Charles Flagg, Research Professor
Stony Brook University
Roger Flood, Professor
Robert Wilson, Assoc. Professor
Dong-Ming Yang, Graduate Student
Rich Giannotti, Pilot
Don Richards, Pilot
Rich Weissmann, Photographer
Mike Ferigno, Photographer
Justin Flagg, Photographer
Brian Wasser, Photographer
http://po.msrc.sunysb.edu/GSB

2. April 9, 2005
C. Flagg

3. November 3, 2012 ~0900 EDT (~1300 GMT)
C. Flagg and R. Giannotti

4. Nov 3
Nov 11
Nov 11
Nov 29
Nov 18
Courtesy of Patti Rafferty, NPS
Jan 6

5. Nov 29
Dec 20
Jan 6

6. January 27, 2013

7. February 2, 2013

8. February 14, 2013

9. March 10, 2013

10. Shoreline Analysis by the National Park Service
Courtesy of Patti Rafferty, NPS

11. Oblique Aerial Photo taken on Sunday March 10
C. Flagg and R. Giannotti

12. Hi-Tech Bathymetric Surveying Technique
RTK GPS
December 7, 2012
Fathometer
March 17, 2013

13. Courtesy of P. Rafferty, NPS

14. February 22 Bathymetric Survey of the inlet
Roger Flood
SoMAS, Stony Brook Univ.

15. Bottom Profiles at Northern End of Inlet

16. Great South Bay Observatory
Funded by New York Department of State

18. Sensors deployed at the Bellport marina since 2004
Sea Bird Electronics “SeaCat”, SBE 16 and SBE 16Plus
Temperature and salinity
Temperature, salinity, sea Level,
chlorophyll and turbidity

19. Great South Bay Buoy #1
Deployed ~2 mi south of Sayville

23. Pre-inlet responses of the ocean and eastern bay to strong winds
High waves
can over-top
the dunes
Low salinity river
waters enter the bay
mean water level
Waves scour
the beach
Bay waters flow
up river

24. Tides Before and After Hurricane Sandy and
the opening of the Breach at Old Inlet
Amplitude and Phase of the M2 tidal constituent, 12.42 hour period
Before Hurricane Sandy
After Hurricane Sandy
Amplitude, m
Phase, Deg
Amplitude, m
Phase, Deg
Bellport
0.16
102.8
0.16
93.8
Barrett Beach
0.15
100.3
0.15
99.0
Fire Island
Inlet
0.23
11.7
0.22
12.4
Tanner Park
0.20
63.1
0.19
62.6
Amplitude is ½ the tide range

25. USGS tide gauge
at Lindenhurst

27. We have seen Wide Spread Sea Level Fluctuations
Woods Hole
Bellport
Lindehurst
Atlantic City
Chesapeake Bay

28. What Happens in Great South Bay is Often the Result of Ocean Forcing

30. Comparison of Previous Winter Water Level Fluctuations
Sandy

31. Bellport Bay Nitrogen Load
data from 2010 thru 2012
Post Sandy
Data courtesy of the
Suffolk County Department of Health Services

32. The New Inlet is a dynamic system that responds to tides, storm surges and ocean
waves, and it will continue to evolve.
As part of this evolution, the inlet will continue to move west.
Although the inlet has increased in size since it was formed, it is uncertain whether this
trend will continue as we move into the summer period with milder weather when sand
typically is deposited on the beach.
The inlet is relatively small compared to the other inlets and this is reflected in the lack
of change in the tide range at Bellport and the Great South Bay in general.
There is an increased exchange of waters with the ocean in the eastern Great South Bay
and this will undoubtedly improve the water quality of the area.
We have experienced unusually frequent storms over the past months which have
caused repeated local flooding through a combination of ocean and local Bay response
to winds.
The Bay closely matches low-frequency ocean sea level changes and the existence of the
new inlet has little to no impact on the Bay’s response.