LIVING BREAKWATERS 2015 – 2018

  • Project Type

    Hydrographic Services

  • Date

    2015-2018

  • Location

    Staten Island, New York

  • Role

    OBJECTIVES
    Bathymetric Survey
    Acoustic Doppler Current Profiling (ADCP) Field Equipment Installation
    ADCP Data Collection and Post-Processing

To protect the coastline and communities on the south end of Staten Island, New York, vulnerable to storm activity, this project involves the design and implementation of marine breakwalls in Raritan Bay. A novel component of the barrier structures is their hollow interiors, which are designed to capture sediment and house living organisms, such as oysters and clams, providing a protected habitat that will foster the development of marine colonies. These artificial reefs will offer protection for both coastal communities and local marine wildlife.

Prudent Engineering’s hydrographic surveying team has been retained by SCAPE / Landscape Architecture, PLLC, to provide bathymetric surveying services for the Living Breakwaters project. Prudent’s team is responsible for surveying and recording seafloor elevations throughout the course of the project. The crew is also tasked with servicing and maintaining two Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers* (ADCPs), which measure the speed and direction of water currents throughout the water column, as well as wave height and direction. This data will provide vital information on how the speed and direction of currents impact the development of oyster larvae. The newly collected data will also be used to verify whether the existing historical records documenting the area’s current profiles are accurate. Prudent’s staff will process the data each month over the course of the year. The project is funded by the New York Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery.