This is the eleventh in the 2021 Monthly Online Presentation Series!

Presented By:

Abstract: The Breaches are channels connecting ocean to bay which form during powerful storms. These natural barrier island features can come and go over time. On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy created a breach within the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness, a federally-designated wilderness area on the eastern end of Fire Island National Seashore. The wilderness breach occurred in a narrow, low-lying area that is historically prone to breaches. This part of the barrier island is called “Old Inlet,” because in the 1800s, a breach occurred here that remained open for approximately 60 years before closing through natural sediment transport processes.

When it opened, the breach displaced sand from the barrier island into Great South Bay. Waves reworked the sand into flood and ebb shoals, accumulations of sand that occur on the bay side (flood) and ocean side (ebb) of the breach. Over time, these shoals will serve to widen the island, provide platforms for the growth of new salt marsh or other habitats, and enhance the resilience of the barrier island to future storms and sea level rise. The breach has caused localized erosion immediately to the west. However, the ebb shoal that formed on the ocean side has remained relatively small and stable, indicating that the breach is not interrupting the sediment transport system. Sediment continues to move west along the ocean shoreline with littoral drift.

Ms. Jackson has a Bachelor of Science Wildlife Management and Conservation, Masters of Science Biology/ Disease Ecology.

Ms. Jackson has been with the National Park Service since 2008 and worked as a Biologist and Park Planner at Fire Island National Seashore for 13 years. She joined the Denver Service Center, an office of the National Park Service, as a Natural Resources Specialist in 2021.

Ms. Jackson is a native Long Islander, she grew up going to south shore beaches and hase a deep love for the dynamic environment of our barrier islands. One of the highlights of her career was being the project manager of the Wilderness Breach Management Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement that used on-going research to inform the National Park Service to keep the breach open in the federal wilderness area after Superstorm Sandy. She loves sharing with others what makes our natural spaces so special.

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