In 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeastern US causing devastation among coastal ecosystems. Post-hurricane marsh restoration efforts have included sediment deposition, planting of vegetation, and restoring tidal hydrology. The work presented here is part of a larger project funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to monitor the post-restoration ecological resilience of coastal ecosystems in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center made in-situ observations during 2018-2019 and 2022-2023 at two sites: Thompsons Beach, NJ and Stone Harbor, NJ. Marsh creek hydrodynamics and water quality including currents, waves, water levels, water temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, organic matter, chlorophyll-a, and suspended-sediment concentration and organic content were measured at both sites. Additionally, marsh accretion and erosion were evaluated and used to interpret sediment budgets. These ecological data will be coupled with topographic lidar and imagery to explain the processes responsible for coastline evolution, and to evaluate restoration techniques and assess whether storm vulnerability has decreased relative to unaltered environments.

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeastern US causing devastation among coastal ecosystems. Post-hurricane marsh restoration efforts have included sediment deposition, planting of vegetation, and restoring tidal hydrology. The work presented here is part of a larger project funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to monitor the post-restoration ecological resilience of coastal ecosystems in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center made in-situ observations during 2018-2019 and 2022-2023 at two sites: Thompsons Beach, NJ and Stone Harbor, NJ. Marsh creek hydrodynamics and water quality including currents, waves, water levels, water temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, organic matter, chlorophyll-a, and suspended-sediment concentration and organic content were measured at both sites. Additionally, marsh accretion and erosion were evaluated and used to interpret sediment budgets. These ecological data will be coupled with topographic lidar and imagery to explain the processes responsible for coastline evolution, and to evaluate restoration techniques and assess whether storm vulnerability has decreased relative to unaltered environments.

The U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center collected data to assess cross-shore sediment transport prediction techniques in coastal models for a wave-dominated sandy coast. A quadpod was deployed on the seafloor in the nearshore zone of Sandy Neck Beach, Cape Cod Bay, MA in March 2021 to analyze water velocities near the seabed and the response of the seabed to these forces. The quadpod was mounted with upward- and downward-looking Nortek Signatures to measure velocity throughout the water column, two Nortek Vectors to measure water velocity at the seabed, a Seabird Microcat to measure temperature, salinity, and depth, a Seabird Seagauge to measure pressure, an Imagenex Sonar to image the seabed, and an Aquatech Aquascat to measure acoustic backscatter. Additionally, sediment samples were collected for grain-size analysis. These data will be used in a coupled ocean-atmosphere-wave-sediment transport (COAWST) model at different grid scales to encompass storm events, regional waves and currents, and fine-resolution wave-breaking to increase our understanding of the drivers that control sediment movement in Cape Cod Bay. The results will allow coastal zone managers to better address shoreline change issues.

The interactions of waves and currents near an inlet influence sediment and alter sea-floor bedforms, especially during winter storms. As part of the Cross-Shore and Inlets Processes project to improve our understanding of cross-shore processes that control sediment budgets, the U.S. Geological Survey deployed instrumented platforms at two sites near Matanzas Inlet between January 24 and April 13, 2018. Matanzas Inlet is a natural, unmaintained inlet on the Florida Atlantic coast that is well suited for study of inlet and cross-shore processes. The study sites were offshore of the surf zone in a line perpendicular to the coast in water depth from 9 to 15 meters. An instrumented sea-floor platform was deployed at each site to measure ocean currents, wave motions, acoustic and optical backscatter, temperature, salinity, and pressure with an emphasis on quantifying the forcing for sediment transport and response near the seabed. Sonars mounted on the platform at the shallow site recorded how the sea-floor bedforms responded to forcing conditions. A surface buoy was deployed at each site; the larger buoy at the deeper site supported meteorological measurement of local atmospheric conditions during the study, and both buoys measured near-surface water temperature and salinity. Sediment samples were collected at the study sites to support these oceanographic and water-quality measurements, and grain size was analyzed for use in sediment transport models to compare predicted estimates of sediment resuspension and transport with observed estimates. Grain-size results are presented in phi and μM units.

The U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center collected data to assess cross-shore sediment transport prediction techniques in coastal models for a wave-dominated sandy coast. A quadpod was deployed on the seafloor in the nearshore zone of Sandy Neck Beach, Cape Cod Bay, MA in March 2021 to analyze water velocities near the seabed and the response of the seabed to these forces. The quadpod was mounted with upward- and downward-looking Nortek Signatures to measure velocity throughout the water column, two Nortek Vectors to measure water velocity at the seabed, a Seabird Microcat to measure temperature, salinity, and depth, a Seabird Seagauge to measure pressure, an Imagenex Sonar to image the seabed, and an Aquatech Aquascat to measure acoustic backscatter. Additionally, sediment samples were collected for grain-size analysis. These data will be used in a coupled ocean-atmosphere-wave-sediment transport (COAWST) model at different grid scales to encompass storm events, regional waves and currents, and fine-resolution wave-breaking to increase our understanding of the drivers that control sediment movement in Cape Cod Bay. The results will allow coastal zone managers to better address shoreline change issues.

The interactions of waves and currents near an inlet influence sediment and alter sea-floor bedforms, especially during winter storms. As part of the Cross-Shore and Inlets Processes project to improve our understanding of cross-shore processes that control sediment budgets, the U.S. Geological Survey deployed instrumented platforms at two sites near Matanzas Inlet between January 24 and April 13, 2018. Matanzas Inlet is a natural, unmaintained inlet on the Florida Atlantic coast that is well suited for study of inlet and cross-shore processes. The study sites were offshore of the surf zone in a line perpendicular to the coast in water depth from 9 to 15 meters. An instrumented sea-floor platform was deployed at each site to measure ocean currents, wave motions, acoustic and optical backscatter, temperature, salinity, and pressure with an emphasis on quantifying the forcing for sediment transport and response near the seabed. Sonars mounted on the platform at the shallow site recorded how the sea-floor bedforms responded to forcing conditions. A surface buoy was deployed at each site; the larger buoy at the deeper site supported meteorological measurement of local atmospheric conditions during the study, and both buoys measured near-surface water temperature and salinity. Sediment samples were collected at the study sites to support these oceanographic and water-quality measurements, and grain size was analyzed for use in sediment transport models to compare predicted estimates of sediment resuspension and transport with observed estimates. Grain-size results are presented in phi and μM units.

The interactions of waves and currents near an inlet influence sediment and alter sea-floor bedforms, especially during winter storms. As part of the Cross-Shore and Inlets Processes project to improve our understanding of cross-shore processes that control sediment budgets, the U.S. Geological Survey deployed instrumented platforms at two sites near Matanzas Inlet between January 24 and April 13, 2018. Matanzas Inlet is a natural, unmaintained inlet on the Florida Atlantic coast that is well suited for study of inlet and cross-shore processes. The study sites were offshore of the surf zone in a line perpendicular to the coast in water depth from 9 to 15 meters. An instrumented sea-floor platform was deployed at each site to measure ocean currents, wave motions, acoustic and optical backscatter, temperature, salinity, and pressure with an emphasis on quantifying the forcing for sediment transport and response near the seabed. Sonars mounted on the platform at the shallow site recorded how the sea-floor bedforms responded to forcing conditions. A surface buoy was deployed at each site; the larger buoy at the deeper site supported meteorological measurement of local atmospheric conditions during the study, and both buoys measured near-surface water temperature and salinity. Sediment samples were collected at the study sites to support these oceanographic and water-quality measurements, and grain size was analyzed for use in sediment transport models to compare predicted estimates of sediment resuspension and transport with observed estimates. Grain-size results are presented in phi and μM units.

This data release serves as an archive of sediment physical properties and grain-size data for surficial samples collected offshore of Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia, for comparison with surficial estuarine and subaerial sedimentological samples collected and assessed following Hurricane Sandy (Ellis and others, 2015 (http://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151219); Smith and others, 2015 (http://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151169); Bernier and others, 2016 (https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0999/)). The sediment samples were collected by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) office in Woods Hole, Massachusetts while aboard the motor vessel (M/V) Scarlett Isabella as part of a larger effort to map the inner continental shelf (Pendleton and others, 2016 (http://doi.org/10.5066/F7MW2F60)). Following field work, the sediment samples were shipped to the USGS Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, where they were renamed for consistency with a previously existing naming scheme and processed for bulk density, loss on ignition (LOI), and grain-size. The grain-size subsamples were processed on a Coulter LS200 particle-size analyzer for consistency regarding methods and output statistics with related data sets from Chincoteague Bay and Assateague Island. For more information regarding sample collection and site information or the related data sets, refer to USGS data release Pendleton and others, 2016 (https://doi.org/10.5066/F7MW2F60); for more information regarding processing methods refer to USGS Open-File Report 2015–1219 (http://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151219). Downloadable data are available as Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx), comma-separated values text files (.csv), and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata.

This data release serves as an archive of sediment physical properties and grain-size data for surficial samples collected offshore of Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia, for comparison with surficial estuarine and subaerial sedimentological samples collected and assessed following Hurricane Sandy (Ellis and others, 2015 (http://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151219); Smith and others, 2015 (http://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151169); Bernier and others, 2016 (https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0999/)). The sediment samples were collected by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) office in Woods Hole, Massachusetts while aboard the motor vessel (M/V) Scarlett Isabella as part of a larger effort to map the inner continental shelf (Pendleton and others, 2016 (http://doi.org/10.5066/F7MW2F60)). Following field work, the sediment samples were shipped to the USGS Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, where they were renamed for consistency with a previously existing naming scheme and processed for bulk density, loss on ignition (LOI), and grain-size. The grain-size subsamples were processed on a Coulter LS200 particle-size analyzer for consistency regarding methods and output statistics with related data sets from Chincoteague Bay and Assateague Island. For more information regarding sample collection and site information or the related data sets, refer to USGS data release Pendleton and others, 2016 (https://doi.org/10.5066/F7MW2F60); for more information regarding processing methods refer to USGS Open-File Report 2015–1219 (http://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151219). Downloadable data are available as Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx), comma-separated values text files (.csv), and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata.

The interactions of waves and currents near an inlet influence sediment and alter sea-floor bedforms, especially during winter storms. As part of the Cross-Shore and Inlets Processes project to improve our understanding of cross-shore processes that control sediment budgets, the U.S. Geological Survey deployed instrumented platforms at two sites near Matanzas Inlet between January 24 and April 13, 2018. Matanzas Inlet is a natural, unmaintained inlet on the Florida Atlantic coast that is well suited for study of inlet and cross-shore processes. The study sites were offshore of the surf zone in a line perpendicular to the coast in water depth from 9 to 15 meters. An instrumented sea-floor platform was deployed at each site to measure ocean currents, wave motions, acoustic and optical backscatter, temperature, salinity, and pressure with an emphasis on quantifying the forcing for sediment transport and response near the seabed. Sonars mounted on the platform at the shallow site recorded how the sea-floor bedforms responded to forcing conditions. A surface buoy was deployed at each site; the larger buoy at the deeper site supported meteorological measurement of local atmospheric conditions during the study, and both buoys measured near-surface water temperature and salinity. Sediment samples were collected at the study sites to support these oceanographic and water-quality measurements, and grain size was analyzed for use in sediment transport models to compare predicted estimates of sediment resuspension and transport with observed estimates. Grain-size results are presented in phi and μm units.