Changes in coastal topography, whether caused by erosion or accretion, vary both spatially and temporally. Understanding these variations is key to early recognition of potential problems affecting natural resources and cultural resources in coastal parks. For managers, an understanding of the spatial and temporal patterns of geomorphologic change is basic to optimal management of any coastal park because the interface of marine and land systems: 1) is highly dynamic and driven by multiple forcing mechanisms; 2) results in alterations to resource patterns and dynamics at habitat and ecosystem levels; and 3) can eventually result in the loss of static resources. The establishment of local, long-term monitoring programs provides metrics to help understand the processes that are driving coastal change of beaches, dunes, and bluffs within the parks. Monitoring will be accomplished using survey-grade GNSS equipment that collects topographic data along pre-established, cross-shore transects spaced at regular intervals augmented by areas of special concern to the parks. A Spatial Monuments Network of high quality reference points will be established for each of the NCBN parks, providing a robust basis for long-term monitoring. Spring and fall surveys conducted in accordance with standard operating procedures will generate coastal topography datasets that will be organized and assembled by a data manager into a national database for subsequent retrieval and additional examination. Dimensional parameters will be measured to describe the beach-dune-bluff system, and attributes will be compared and analyzed in a cross-shore and alongshore perspective, providing information about the temporal and spatial changes on beach-dune-bluff morphologies in the parks. The overall goal is to create a replicable means of data gathering that is efficient, adheres to scientific principles, and meets the management needs of the coastal parks.

These files contain topographic profiles collected at ASIS through the Spring 2025 field season

These files contain topographic profiles collected at ASIS through the 2020 field season

These files contain topographic profiles collected at ASIS through the Spring 2025 field season

These data represent a series of mean-high water shorelines collected at Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS), appended into one spatial dataset. 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. Additionally, some surveys collected prior to 2003 do not contain FGDC-compliant metadata records. This dataset contains shoreline features collect between Winter of 1994 and Spring 2025.

These data represent a series of mean high water shorelines collected at Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS), appended into one spatial dataset. 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. Additionally, some surveys collected prior to 2003 do not contain FGDC-compliant metadata records. This dataset contains shoreline features collect between August of 1993 and Fall 2022.

These data represent a series of mean-high water shorelines collected at Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS), appended into one spatial dataset. 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. Additionally, some surveys collected prior to 2003 do not contain FGDC-compliant metadata records. This dataset contains shoreline features collect between Winter of 1994 and Spring 2025.

These files contain topographic profiles collected at ASIS through the 2020 field season

These files contain topographic profiles collected at ASIS through the 2020 field season

These files contain topographic profiles collected at GATE through the 2023 field season