East Hampton Monitoring Project

Overview

The Marine Sciences Research Center’s (MSRC) monitoring program of the East Hampton Village beaches is the only continuing beach study in the State of New York, which consists of three thousand miles of waterfront.  Scientific measurements have been made over the past two decades making this East Hampton research the longest-running continuing study of a particular beach in the country.

Amassing over 1200 individual beach profiles since 1979, scientists at  MSRC have successfully documented long-term trends.  By comparing these measurements with previously available data on the specific East Hampton beaches dating back to 1838, modern beach conditions can be put in a historical perspective.

The East Hampton Village ocean beaches have been relatively stable since the earliest recorded shoreline position in 1838, despite interannual fluctuations.  The scientific technical data do not indicate a trend of chronic or progressive erosion of the East Hampton Village beaches exceeding the range of interannual variability.  Natural processes have restored the beaches through sustained accretion after episodic periods of erosion, especially from major storms.

In 2014, tide gauge was installed at the East Hampton beach.  Current tide readings are now available on the SoMAS website.