NCBN Shoreline Monitoring, 2026 Cumulative Data Package

The dynamic nature of coastal areas is a defining characteristic, influencing nearly every aspect of their ecology. Fundamentally disturbance driven systems, coastal shorelines and their endemic biota are continually shaped by physical forces on a time scale vastly accelerated in comparison to mainland systems. Because of the rapid pace and scope of change, long term monitoring is crucial towards understanding natural shoreline conditions as well as anthropogenic influences. These data represent a series of mean high-water shorelines collected at Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS), Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO), Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS), Gateway National Recreation Area (GATE), George Washington Birthplace National Monument (GEWA), and Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (SAHI). The features have been assembled/collected in support of the Northeast Coastal & Barrier Inventory and Monitoring Network's Ocean Shoreline Position Monitoring Program. Surveys along the ocean shoreline were collected by driving a 4-wheel drive vehicle or walking at a relatively constant speed along the identified high tide swash line. For the purposes of this monitoring program, the actual ocean "shoreline" was defined as the average position of the most recent high tide, evidenced by the obvious wet/dry sand line or deposited wrack. The GPS/GNSS receiver was configured to record positions at a very short interval (at least 1 position every 10 meters) for the best representation of the shoreline position. Depending on the time of year and intended purpose, some surveys contain ocean, inlet and bay shorelines, while some surveys only contain ocean shorelines.