A large Fire Island inlet carved out by Superstorm Sandy has filled up naturally with sand, prompting concern among baymen, environmentalists and others about increased pollution and greater risk of future “brown tide” algae blooms in nearby Bellport Bay.

In 2012, the storm opened a gap about 1,000 feet wide and 20 feet deep through the Otis Pike Wilderness section of the Fire Island National Seashore, located about two miles west of Smith Point County Park in Shirley.

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