Barrier Islands
Barrier Island Geomorphology and Vegetation Dynamics
Primary Researcher: Shane Daiek
Shane’s current research focuses on the geomorphology of berm-dune structures in Island Beach State Park, NJ. His research is aimed to evaluate the role of vegetation as a sediment trapping mechanism that drives the morphology of coastal dunes. Additionally, he looks to quantify the evolution of barrier island berm-dune structures on a multidecadal timescale using a variety of different tools and methods. These include remote sensing, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and machine learning techniques that will provide a deeper understanding of the role of vegetation in barrier island morphology. These tools and techniques will provide useful data for a coupled berm-dune model that will help to better understand what key factors drive geomorphic change in these coastal environments.
Additional work: Currently developing a model for barrier island evolution in Fire Island, NY during storm events and recovery periods. This model is in cooperation with the USGS.
Find code to run our barrier island models on the GitHub repository here.
Modeling the Evolution of a Coupled Barrier-Marsh-Lagoon System : Insights from the New Jersey Coastline
Read Christopher Tenebruso’s thesis here.
Reconstructing Barrier Island Behavior from Overstepped Deposits and Relict Onshore Morphology : Modeling and Field Approaches
Read Dan Ciarletta’s thesis here.