Great Ecology led the planning and implementation of a coastal erosion control plan pilot project to halt, and ideally reverse, continued coastal erosion at a private beach in East Hampton, NY in collaboration with EcoShore International. The beach had lost hundreds of feet of depth over the last century, putting homeowners at risk of increased flooding/storm surge damage and future loss of their homes within a decade from continued erosion.
Great Ecology led the local, state, and federal permitting efforts, securing the first ever NYSDEC permit for a coastal erosion solution - the first permit ever issued for PEMs in the Northeast US and the first in the US in over a decade. Great Ecology also reviewed and refined the implementation plan that utilizes an innovative Pressure Equalizing Module (PEM) system to aid in sand accretion by restoring and enhancing a beach’s ability to drain. In addition, our team oversaw EcoShore's installation of the PEMs in 2022 and has conducted continuous monitoring of the PEMs erosion control effectiveness as part of a 5-year monitoring and reporting effort.
As of summer 2025, the project has shown successful results with ~20 ft of new sand dune observed, equating to around 6-7 ft gain per year compared to the 4ft per year loss observed prior to PEM installation. Upon completion, this pilot study will ultimately serve as proof-of-concept for this emerging technology which could serve as a front-line solution to halting beach erosion across the US.
