The Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier will be part of a nationwide scientific data gathering effort. The Santa Rosa Island Authority Administrative Committee at their July 13 meeting approved the U.S. Geological Survey’s request to attach water level monitoring sensors and radar on the Pier just prior to major storm events. The equipment would be removed after the storm passes.

A team of USGS field technicians would install and activate the sensors ahead of a storm. The data, which is being collected to support the “Predicting Hurricane Coastal Impacts” project, will be posted online at https://stn.wim.usgs.gov/fev/.  The monitoring project will continue through November 2024.

Santa Rosa Island Authority recently launched a new, content-rich website showcasing the many unique creatures and features of the barrier island. PensacolaBeachEcoTrail.com is an extension of the physical Pensacola Beach Footprints in The Sand Eco Trail, which consists of informative, educational signs posted across the island. An interactive map hosted on the website guides visitors along the trail which stretches from just outside the Gulf Islands National Seashore Fort Pickens gate to Park East - just before the Opal Beach area.