New Hampshire Beach Profile Monitoring Data Is Now Publicly Available
The New Hampshire Volunteer Beach Profile Monitoring Program (NHVBPMP) recently released its full dataset, which is open to the public and available for anyone to use. Beach profiling is a simple, yet effective survey technique used to measure the contour of a beach. This dataset covers 15 different sites along New Hampshire’s 18 miles of coastline, from the program’s inception in December 2016 to December 2025.
Program background
New Hampshire's beaches are constantly changing. Sand erodes from some locations while building in others, and major storms can reshape the shoreline rapidly. Conditions in the Gulf of Maine are also changing over the long-term, in ways that can affect how sand moves.
To better understand how these dynamics are playing out along New Hampshire’s beaches, the NHVBPMP launched in 2016. The program brings together researchers from the University of New Hampshire and Coastal Research Volunteers to collect long-term data on how beaches shift over time and is supported by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Monitoring beaches over time helps communities understand how New Hampshire's coastline changes and responds to storms, seasonal conditions, and long-term trends. This information supports better beach management and future planning.
What is a beach profile?
It all starts with two sticks, a string and a group of trained volunteers.
Very basic equipment, made from two 1.5-meter rods connected by a 3-meter rope, is used to create a line-of-sight with the horizon. The difference in elevation between the two poles defines the topographic change on that segment of the beach. The magnitude of this difference in elevation, in centimeters, is recorded as a single data point. These data points are recorded at regular intervals, also known as “jumps”, down the beach. When these data points are connected, they create a graphic depiction of the contour of the beach, also known as the beach profile. This method of collecting beach profile data is known as the Emery Method.
Learn more about the New Hampshire Volunteer Beach Profile Monitoring Program
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