http://marinedebrisblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/27/post-storm-sandy-a-multi-tiered-approach-to-surveying-and-coordinating/

Post Storm Sandy ? A multi-tiered approach to surveying and coordinating

October 27, 2014 by NOAA Marine Debris Program

By: Ron Ohrel

Following Post Tropical Storm Sandy, NOAA invested significant resources
toward charting the impacted coastline, identifying potential hazards to
navigation, and helping partners remove marine debris that threatened to
harm sensitive ecosystems. NOAA accomplished this through a combination
of aerial, underwater, and shoreline surveys.

Due to differences in response activities across the states impacted by
this storm, it was important to coordinate marine debris survey and
response efforts at all levels of government. NOAA managed hydrographic
survey operations in more than 800 square miles of Sandy-impacted
waterways along the Eastern seaboard. The data acquired through those
efforts is being used to update nautical charts, model flood events, and
identify marine debris for potential removal.