Rocky Point Marsh Post-Sandy by Frank De Sisto

Original tidal estuary entrance; note peat deposits in foreground from older beach migration. Looking in-land, 0802hrs., Nov. 11, 2012.

Original tidal estuary entrance; it is now wider than it previously was. Looking towards Jamaica Bay, 0802hrs., Nov. 11, 2012

Original tidal estuary entrance; note peat deposits at right as well as stratified sand and eroded dune line, at left. Looking East, 1421hrs., Nov. 23, 2012.

Original tidal estuary entrance, with micro-surge (at left). Looking towards Jamaica Bay, 1558hrs., Nov. 23, 2012.

Original tidal estuary entrance, with micro-surge detail (at left). Looking towards Jamaica Bay, 1558hrs., Nov. 23, 2012.

Original tidal estuary entrance (at left), with branches. Looking East, 1005hrs., Nov.11, 2012.

New tidal estuary entrance, with dune over-wash fan (at center). Looking inland, 0806hrs., Nov.11, 2012.

New tidal estuary entrance, with dune over-wash fan (at center): note sand deposits from destroyed dune line, center, to upper right. Looking towards Jamaica Bay, 0900hrs., Nov. 11, 2012.

New tidal estuary entrance, with dune over-wash fan (from left, to center); note sand deposits from destroyed dune line, center to upper right. Looking West, 0857hrs., Nov. 11, 2012.

Dune over-wash fans, with rills from subsequently retreating water. Note stressed, but still intact American Beach Grass, showing the direction of the tidal surge. Looking inland, 0839hrs., Nov. 11, 2012.

Dune over-wash fans, with rills from subsequently retreating water. Note stressed, but still intact American Beach Grass, showing the direction of the tidal surge. Looking inland, 0840hrs., Nov. 11, 2012.

Dune over-wash fans, with tracks from Quad-type ATV. Note the dune over-wash fan, running down center of image, indicating the location of the former dune line. Looking East, 1425hrs., Nov. 23, 2012.

Marsh interior. Looking inland, 0858hrs., Nov. 11, 2012.

Marsh interior showing twin drainage culverts. Looking inland, 1058hrs., Nov.11, 2012.

Marsh interior showing redistributed lumber. The wooden platform at center formerly resided atop the culverts seen in previous image. 1050hrs., Nov. 11, 2012.

More redistributed lumber, this time on the Western rim of the marsh. Many of the clearings inside the tree-line are now chocked with lumber, plastic and natural debris. 0857hrs., Nov. 11, 2012.

Looking out past the marsh, across Jamaica Bay, with Brighton Beach in the far background. Note collection of debris on ridge as well as damaged pier, out past the stone jetty. 0855hrs., Nov.12, 2012.

Life after Hurricane Sandy

Since the Rockaway peninsula residents experienced unprecedented property damage due to Hurricane Sandy I was interested to see what changes had taken place in the marsh. Strangely, all of the massive piles of wood (and other) debris that accumulated from our many volunteer cleanup efforts over the past two years…were completely gone. Not a remnant lay in sight. But where did it all go?

The police had set up a checkpoint on the main boulevard along the peninsula. So instead of going through the hassle of driving through slow-moving traffic, we walked along the shoreline to reach the marsh.

Looking south from the bay side you can see there is a new channel, which hopefully will allow the marsh to flood more easily during high tides. The original channel (not pictured) is now much wider and deeper, which means there are now two channels into the marsh from the bay.

Looking north toward the bay. The dunes that acted as a flood barrier are now much flatter. And the new channel is visible from here.

These channels (above and below) are also viewed looking north.

The next three images show a landscape that is unrecognizable due to the absence of the many piles of debris that disappeared during the recent hurricane.

This area on the west side of the marsh might be where some of our collected debris got transferred to.

High of 52 °F | Humidity (avg) 52% | Wind @ 16 mph (NW) | High Tide 5.2 ft. @ 10:59 AM | Moon 86% visible.

High tides flooded life into the marsh

This morning we found the marsh completely flooded. And the tide was rushing out to the bay.

High of 66 °F | Humidity (avg) 77% | Wind @ 8 mph (ESE) | High Tide 6.5 ft. @ 10:25 AM | Moon 8% visible.

CUNY students clean up!

Professor Kathleen from CUNY brings her oceanography students out to Rocky Point Marsh to make their own observations of the local ecology. We then engage in a good old-fashioned clean up.

This is the first time I've seen a sea star on this shoreline.

Professor Kathleen and Tony Luscombe, NPS Biological Technician meet with the students afterwards.

Professor Kathleen and Tony Luscombe.

This may be a juvenile northern brown snake (Storeria d. dekayi), another marsh resident we were pleased to meet.

High of 55 °F | Humidity (avg) 44% | Wind @ 9 mph (SSW) | High Tide 5.9 ft. @ 6:27 AM | Moon 8% visible.

Your Park, Your Health cleanup

Sheridan Roberts, NPS Internship Coordinator, organized a marsh clean up crew of Your Park, Your Health interns.

High of 95 °F | Humidity (avg) 63% | Wind @ 14 mph (WNW) | High Tide 5.5 ft. @ 12:24 PM | Moon 24% visible.

Rocky Point Marsh Locals

Photographs by Frank De Sisto. You may see more of his beautiful work at frankdesisto.com.

Brant Goose

American Redstart

Horseshoe Crab

Monarch Butterfly

Common Merganser

Northern Mocking Bird

Great Egret

Willet

Rose

Black-throated Green Warbler