Superstorm Sandy marine debris wash-ups on Long Island - What happened to them?

R Lawrence Swanson; Kamazima Lwiza; Kaitlin Willig; Kaitlin Morris

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.04.029

Superstorm Sandy marine debris wash-ups on Long Island - What happened to them?

Mar Pollut Bull. 2016 Jul 15;108(1-2):215-31. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.04.029. Epub 2016 May 6.

Authors

R Lawrence Swanson¹, Kamazima Lwiza², Kaitlin Willig³, Kaitlin Morris⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 27158045
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.04.029

Abstract

Superstorm Sandy generated huge quantities of debris in the Long Island, NY coastal zone. However, little appears to have been washed offshore to eventually be returned to Long Island's beaches as marine debris wash-ups. Information for our analysis includes debris collection statistics, very high resolution satellite images, along with wind and sea level data. Rigorous debris collection efforts along with meteorological conditions following the storm appear to have reduced the likelihood of debris wash-ups.

Keywords: Debris collection; Long Island; Marine debris; Superstorm Sandy.

MeSH terms

Cyclonic Storms*
Environmental Monitoring / methods*
Environmental Restoration and Remediation / methods*
New York
Plastics / analysis
Seawater / analysis*
Waste Products / analysis*
Water Pollution / analysis*

Substances

Plastics
Waste Products