Coastal Ocean Action Strategies Institute

COASTInstituteThe Coastal Ocean Action Strategies (COAST) Institute was created in 1989 to assist in coastal zone management and coastal marine policy analysis. We do this by exploring future scenarios for Long Island’s coastline and coastal environment and by working with policy makers and environmental managers in identifying and analyzing strategies that will conserve and, when necessary, rehabilitate the coastal ocean; by ensuring that not only is the best technical information included in developing the strategies, but economic and other critical information as well; and by forming effective linkages among environmental groups, the scientific community, lawmakers, regulators, and managers to tackle coastal environmental issues.

COAST has been called upon to assist in resolving coastal problems at home on Long Island, throughout the U.S. and in many parts of the world. For example, on Long Island, we are involved with beach monitoring at East Hampton and Shinnecock Inlet; dredging studies in Stony Brook Harbor; assessment of breach potential along Fire Island. We have also been asked to facilitate the search for solutions to environmental threats or degradation in, for example, Jamaica Bay and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; along the Danube delta and the Mediterranean Coast.

COAST also provides a real-world, action learning laboratory for graduate students at MSRC. Each year students who are interested in coastal management and policy take part in gathering and analyzing data, in transforming data into information, and in synthesizing information-all targeted at identifying and evaluating management alternatives to attack the problems that COAST is helping to solve.


Studies on Long Island’s Coast

 


COASTal Notes

Our understanding of the coast has been distilled from the experience of many detailed observations at specific sites. In addition to scholarly articles and technical reports, a series of COASTal Notes describes various and sundry observations of the behavior of Long Island’s shore.

COAST Institute Laboratory web page

Related News Articles

$2.1 Million Awarded for Sea Grant Research on NY’s Coastal Environment

From $2.1 Million Awarded for Sea Grant Research on NY’s Coastal Environment on Stony Brook University News, October 16, 2020. New York Sea Grant (NYSG) has awarded more than $2.1 million to support six coastal science research projects —three of which are being led...

SoMAS Makes a Splash with Best College for Marine Biology Ranking

From Stony Brook Makes a Splash with Best College for Marine Biology Ranking on Stony Brook News by Amelia Camurati on November 20, 2018 College Magazine has ranked Stony Brook University fourth on its list of “The 10 Best Colleges for Marine Biology,” the only...

Workshop on the Erosion of Long Island’s North Shore

The COAST Institute at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University hosted a Workshop on Resilience and Sustainability of Long Island’s North Shore on Friday October 12, 2018 in Endeavour Hall Room 120. 8:30     Registration/...

Rip Currents Pose Greater Risk To Swimmers Than To Shoreline 

Long term monitoring by Stony Brook University researchers finds rip currents are frequent but short-lived at East Hampton Village Beach STONY BROOK, N.Y., October 14, 2009 - Rip currents—powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from the shore—represent a...

SoMAS Professor Named to Rank of Distinguished Service Professor

This spring, SoMAS Professor Dr. Henry Bokuniewicz was one of ten SUNY professors appointed to the rank of Distinguished Service Professor. The honor recognizes substantial distinguished service not only within SUNY, but also at the community, state, national, and...

Marine Center Charts Course

From "Marine Center Charts Course - Facility Growing at Stony Brook" by Tom Morris on Newsday, Monday December 4, 1989. When the brown tide ravaged the East End's scallop crop in 1985 and 1986, the Marine Sciences Research Center at Stony Brook took the lead in...