Charles N. Flagg
E-mail: Charles.Flagg@stonybrook.edu

Robert E. Wilson
E-mail: Robert.Wilson@stonybrook.edu

Claudia Hinrichs
E-mail: Claudia.Hinrichs@stonybrook.edu

Tom Wilson
E-mail: Thomas.Wilson@stonybrook.edu

School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000

Introduction

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.  This webpage shows some of the hydrodynamic model results to date and presents physical observational data collected over the past  several years.  Currently, the hydrodynamic model is undergoing a major upgrade so as to deal more effectively with the complex topography of the western portions of the Bay.  The model results presented below deal with one aspect of the Bay, that is the potential impact of a large breach in Fire Island.  The model is also being used to study the impact of tides and winds on the distribution and dispersal of passive tracers and plankton.   This page also presents much of the observational data from temperature and salinity sensors that have been deployed around the eastern portion of the Bay since 2004.  Since 2010 some of these instruments have been enhanced to measure sea level, chlorophyll and turbidity.  And since the middle of 2010 real-time data from the Smith Point bridge and a telemetering buoy south of Sayville have also become available.  All the observational data are available below.