Development of a Mid-Atlantic Surf Hazards Awareness and Research Coordination: Collaborating to Improve the Forecasting, Understanding, and Prevention of Surf Hazards

Abstract

Surf hazards, such as flooding, dangerous waves, and rip currents, pose a serious threat to beachgoers. Rip currents alone account for 80% of ocean rescues and are a leading cause of death for beachgoers with 100 fatalities each year at US beaches. Surf hazards are multidimensional and interdisciplinary, meaning that there are many who are working to forecast, understand, and prevent the related incidents and fatalities; however, there is limited coordination among these various entities. Recognizing this, New York Sea Grant (NYSG) and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS) partnered in 2019 to develop the Surf Hazard Awareness and Research Coordination (SHARC) in response. Increasing the collaboration allows for informed science and decision-making.SHARC is a network of local and regional professionals working within the various professional fields associated with surf hazard response, research, data collection, education, and community engagement. The purpose of such a network is to increase the collaboration and communications between all local and regional surf hazard experts including but not limited to, researchers, modelers, forecasters, lifesaving personnel, first responders, municipal decision-makers, among others. Other goals of SHARC are to create a space for stakeholder collaboration within surf hazard reporting, improve surf hazard forecasting through coordinated data collection, promote surf hazard awareness and education, and the prevention of incidents and fatalities.The National Weather Service (NWS) currently models and issues rip current and surf hazard forecasts, watches, and warnings. However, more information is needed in order to validate and improve upon the current models. SHARC is in a unique position to be able to assist with this by reaching out to a network of experts, promoting, and coordinating data collection. The increased collaboration and communication will lead to better, more localized data collection that will inform forecasting and predictions. In addition, MARACOOS collects ocean data that can be used by the network to increase the understanding and awareness of surf hazards and their impact on local coasts.Since its inception, SHARC has held meetings with its members that resulted in new partnerships, specifically allowing the NWS to make connections with New York City parks to report surf hazard data at three new beaches. Through network emails, participants are able to learn about outreach events, such as the virtual reality rip current simulation developed by Hofstra University. Furthermore, strong relationships have been built with NOAA, including the integration with WebCOOS, a new coastal observing network that utilizes webcams. Initially piloted on Long Island, NY, SHARC networks will be replicated and expanded throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region, specifically next in the Delaware and Maryland beach areas.Specializing in local stakeholder engagement, and with increased local expert partnerships, MARACOOS and New York Sea Grant lead SHARC in local engagements to continually educate the public, obtain local feedback, and improve surf hazard products to increase the ability for beachgoers to understand and avoid hazards specific to certain coastal areas. SHARC will increase the capacity and collaboration to improve data, create engagements specific to local beaches, and ultimately decrease surf hazard-related incidents and fatalities.