Coastal Geography ofCoastal Geography of New Jersey and New York New Jersey and New York

By: Sarah Aimone By: Sarah Aimone

& Lori Czaplinski& Lori Czaplinski

THE JERSEY COASTTHE JERSEY COAST

• 130 miles of open ocean coastline130 miles of open ocean coastline• 1792 miles of tidally affected land1792 miles of tidally affected land• 60% of shoreline is Barrier islands60% of shoreline is Barrier islands• 70% of states population lives within 70% of states population lives within

coastal countiescoastal counties

Major Bays and Major Bays and

RiversRivers

• Hudson BayHudson Bay

• Barnegat BayBarnegat Bay

• Great BayGreat Bay

• Delaware BayDelaware Bay

• Raritan BayRaritan Bay

• Hudson RiverHudson River

• Delaware RiverDelaware River

Barrier islands of NJBarrier islands of NJ

• Eight barrier islandsEight barrier islands

Long Beach Island, Brigantine Long Beach Island, Brigantine Island, Island, Absecon Island, Peck Beach Absecon Island, Peck Beach Island, Island, Ludlam Beach Island, Little Ludlam Beach Island, Little Beach Beach Island, Seven Mile Beach Island, Seven Mile Beach Island, Five Island, Five Mile Beach Island. Mile Beach Island.

• Two peninsulas that act like Barrier Two peninsulas that act like Barrier islandsislands

Barnegat Bay PeninsulaBarnegat Bay Peninsula

Sandy Hook PeninsulaSandy Hook Peninsula

Island Beach State ParkIsland Beach State Park

Atlantic City on Absecon Atlantic City on Absecon IslandIsland

Erosion of the ShorelineErosion of the Shoreline

• 26 % of New Jersey shoreline is 26 % of New Jersey shoreline is critically erodingcritically eroding

• Large scale, statewide beach Large scale, statewide beach nourishment program nourishment program

•The Sandy Hook to Barnegat Inlet projectThe Sandy Hook to Barnegat Inlet projectlargest beach fill project in world largest beach fill project in world

(in terms of volume)(in terms of volume)•Seawalls Seawalls

Tidal range Tidal range

• Sandy hook Sandy hook

0.69 ft – 5.61 ft0.69 ft – 5.61 ft

• Atlantic CityAtlantic City

1.06ft- 6.25 ft1.06ft- 6.25 ft

New YorkNew York

125 miles of open 125 miles of open ocean coastlineocean coastline

>5,000 miles of >5,000 miles of shoreline, including shoreline, including the Great Lakesthe Great Lakes

1,850 miles of 1,850 miles of tidally affected landtidally affected land

70% of the state’s 70% of the state’s population lives population lives within coastal within coastal counties counties (13,800,000)(13,800,000)

Major Rivers, Bays and Lakes:Major Rivers, Bays and Lakes:St. Lawrence River, Hudson RiverSt. Lawrence River, Hudson RiverLake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake ChamplainLake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake ChamplainHudson Bay, Long Island SoundHudson Bay, Long Island Sound

Long IslandLong Island

• Long Island extends east of New York Long Island extends east of New York CityCity

• Flanked by the Long Island Sound and Flanked by the Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Oceanthe Atlantic Ocean

• 125 miles of ocean coast125 miles of ocean coast

• Four barrier islands are located off the Four barrier islands are located off the south shoresouth shore

• Several inlets and baysSeveral inlets and bays

Barrier Islands:Barrier Islands:Long Beach IslandLong Beach IslandJones Beach IslandJones Beach Island

Fire IslandFire Islandthe Unnamed Islandthe Unnamed Island

Long Beach Island:Long Beach Island:-10 ¼ miles of ocean beach-10 ¼ miles of ocean beach-extensive salt water marsh-extensive salt water marsh-important rest stop for migratory waterfowl-important rest stop for migratory waterfowl

Jones Beach Island:Jones Beach Island:-19 miles of ocean front-19 miles of ocean front-1000 acres of wetlands-1000 acres of wetlands-state parks used for recreation-state parks used for recreation

Fire Island:Fire Island:-largest in the chain; 32 miles of ocean beach-largest in the chain; 32 miles of ocean beach-30% marsh-30% marsh-Fire Island National Seashore-Fire Island National Seashore-Moriches flats-Moriches flats

Unnamed Island:Unnamed Island:-19 ¾ miles ocean front-19 ¾ miles ocean front-connected to LI Peninsula until a hurricane in 1938 opened up -connected to LI Peninsula until a hurricane in 1938 opened up Shinnecock InletShinnecock Inlet

Beach ErosionBeach Erosionand Nourishmentand Nourishment

• 47 % of the shoreline is 47 % of the shoreline is critically erodingcritically eroding

• Human activity??? The Human activity??? The coastline is very densely coastline is very densely populated!populated!

• Private property owners Private property owners allowed to allowed to protect/nourish their landprotect/nourish their land

• Numerous groins on Long Numerous groins on Long Island and Staten IslandIsland and Staten Island

Tidal RangeTidal Range

• Montauk Montauk

0.64-2.95 ft0.64-2.95 ft

• The Battery The Battery

1.71-6.24 ft1.71-6.24 ft

New York BightNew York Bight-great expanse of shallow ocean between Long Island and the -great expanse of shallow ocean between Long Island and the New Jersey CoastNew Jersey Coast-Longshore transport of sand by wave action from the -Longshore transport of sand by wave action from the southeast, ultimately from prevailing wind zones and storm southeast, ultimately from prevailing wind zones and storm events in the tropics and the South Atlantic region. Hurricanes events in the tropics and the South Atlantic region. Hurricanes during the summer and nor'easters during the winter are during the summer and nor'easters during the winter are responsible for intense periods of sediment transport and responsible for intense periods of sediment transport and beach erosion and accumulation.beach erosion and accumulation.

ReferencesReferences

• Scheinkman, J.J. and P.M. Byrne. Scheinkman, J.J. and P.M. Byrne. Inventory of the Barrier Inventory of the Barrier Island Island Chain of the States of New York and New JerseyChain of the States of New York and New Jersey. . New York: New York: The Mc Intosh Foundation 1977.The Mc Intosh Foundation 1977.

• http://surfrider.orghttp://surfrider.org

• http://noaa.govhttp://noaa.gov

• www.geo.hunter.cuny.eduwww.geo.hunter.cuny.edu

• http://marine.rutgers.edu/geomorphhttp://marine.rutgers.edu/geomorph

• www.worldatlas.comwww.worldatlas.com

• www.thejerseyshorepartnership.comwww.thejerseyshorepartnership.com