Inventory & Monitoring at Fire Island National Seashore

A green vegetated salt marsh with pink patches of flowers — Salt marsh at Fire Island National Seashore. James Lynch / NPS Photo

A Little Context

Fire Island National Seashore is a 7,832-hectare protected portion of Fire Island, a barrier island along Long Island, New York. Over half the park is submerged in Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Its eastern portion is the only federally designated wilderness in New York State and of all national parks in the northeast. Beginning as indigenous land, it later became the site of William Floyd Estate, the ancestral home of one of New York’s four signers of the Declaration of Independence, William Floyd.

Fire Island is home to native plants, including pitch pine, beach grass, wax myrtle, bayberry, shadbush, and common greenbrier. Its landscape comprises dunes, beaches, salt marshes, a unique maritime forest, and eel grass beds, all of which are threatened habitats. Recreational activities that damage dune vegetation, deer overpopulation from recreational feeding, invasive plant species, pollution from community marinas, and marina dredging all impact local ecosystems.

Our Work with Fire Island

Fire Island is a place of biodiversity, Native American heritage, and Floyd family history. One of its founding goals was to conserve and preserve the relatively undeveloped natural features for future generations. To help achieve that goal, the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network, along with Fire Island staff, collects ecological monitoring data on several ecosystem vital signs. Learn about our work below.

What We Monitor

Salt Marsh
Vegetation

Monitoring plants can reveal signs of habitat change and overall salt marsh health
Salt Marsh
Tidal Wetland Elevation

Salt marshes need to maintain their surface elevation above water, especially when sea levels are rising
Salt Marsh
Nekton

Nekton (free-swimming fishes and crustaceans) are abundant and key vital signs of estuarine health
Coastal Shores
Ocean Shoreline Position

Shoreline changes affect wildlife behavior and the safety of coastal communities
Coastal Shores
Coastal Topography

As storms approach our shores, coastal landforms are our first lines of defense
Estuaries
Seagrass

Seagrass aren't related to land grass, but they are key indicators of estuarine health
Estuaries
Estuarine Water Quality

Nutrient enrichment along coastal shores is a worldwide consequence of human population growth
What We Monitor
Weather & Climate

Understanding patterns and trends in weather and climate means being prepared to better manage park natural resources.
What We Monitor
Air Quality

Clean air, the thing we can't see yet need. Monitoring it is essential to the health of our visitors and communities.