Summary:
When someone you love dies, the last thing you want to do is spend hours researching burial options online. But if traditional burial or standard cremation doesn’t feel right — either for environmental reasons, personal ones, or both — you deserve a clear picture of what else is out there.
For families in Nassau County, NY, the options are more varied than most people realize. And one of them, sea burial, is something most families don’t even know to ask about — despite living minutes from the Atlantic Ocean their entire lives. Here’s what you should know.
What Green Burial Actually Means — and Why It's Not Just One Thing
“Green burial” is an umbrella term, not a single method. It covers any approach to end-of-life disposition that reduces environmental impact compared to conventional burial — which typically involves embalming chemicals, a metal casket, a concrete vault, and a cemetery plot that requires ongoing maintenance.
The U.S. funeral industry uses roughly 827,000 gallons of embalming fluid every year, much of it containing formaldehyde and other chemicals that can leach into groundwater. Standard cremation, while more affordable and popular, releases hundreds of kilograms of CO₂ per body. Neither is zero-impact. Green burial alternatives exist on a spectrum — some are modest improvements, others are dramatically different in approach. Understanding the full range helps families make a choice that genuinely fits.
Natural Burial Options: What They Are and What's Available in Nassau County
Natural ground burial — sometimes called conservation burial — involves interring the body without embalming, in a biodegradable shroud or simple wooden casket, in a designated natural burial ground. No concrete vault. No synthetic materials. The body returns to the earth directly, often in a setting that functions as a nature preserve or meadow rather than a manicured cemetery.
It’s a genuinely beautiful concept. The problem for Nassau County families is a practical one: natural burial grounds are almost entirely absent from Long Island. The county is densely suburban, land is expensive, and there is very little undeveloped acreage suitable for conservation burial. Families who want a certified natural burial ground typically have to look upstate or in parts of New Jersey — which can add logistical complexity at an already difficult time.
Biodegradable burial is closely related. It refers to the use of materials — caskets, urns, shrouds — that break down naturally without releasing toxins. Even within a conventional cemetery setting, families can sometimes request biodegradable options. This is a meaningful step, but it doesn’t address the land use, the vault requirement (which many cemeteries mandate regardless), or the embalming question.
For Nassau County families who want a genuinely earth-friendly burial and don’t want to travel upstate to find it, the geographic reality of Long Island matters. The county is bounded on its South Shore by the Atlantic Ocean — and that proximity opens up options that families in landlocked counties simply don’t have.
Burial at Sea Companies: What to Look for When Choosing a Provider
Sea burial is federally regulated in the United States under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA). Under EPA regulations (40 CFR §229), cremated remains must be scattered at least three nautical miles from shore, in open ocean waters. The company performing the burial is required to notify the EPA within 30 days of the ceremony. Only biodegradable materials — flowers, biodegradable urns, natural wreaths — may enter the water. No plastics, no metals, nothing synthetic.
When you’re evaluating sea burial companies, the first thing to look for is whether they operate a Coast Guard-inspected vessel. Not every charter boat used for sea burials meets this standard. A formally inspected vessel has been evaluated for seaworthiness and safety equipment — which matters when you’re three miles offshore with grieving family members aboard.
You should also ask whether the company handles all EPA permitting and post-ceremony reporting on your behalf. A reputable provider manages this entirely — you shouldn’t have to file anything or worry about compliance. Ask whether they provide a GPS coordinates certificate documenting exactly where the ceremony took place. That certificate matters more than families often expect. The ocean is vast, and having a specific, documented location gives families a place to return to — by boat, by memory, or simply by knowing it exists on a map.
Finally, ask about what the ceremony itself can include. Music, religious elements, catering, specific location preferences — these details are what separate a meaningful farewell from a transactional one. The best providers treat every ceremony as a custom event, not a scheduled departure.
Water Cremation Ashes and Alternative Cremation Services
Beyond traditional flame cremation, a growing number of families are exploring alternative cremation services that reduce environmental impact even further. The two most discussed are alkaline hydrolysis (sometimes called aquamation or water cremation) and natural organic reduction (human composting). Both are legal in New York State, which joined the natural organic reduction movement in 2022.
Alkaline hydrolysis uses water, heat, and an alkaline solution to break down the body over several hours. The result is a sterile liquid that is safely returned to the water system, and a small amount of bone material — similar in appearance to traditional cremation ashes — that families can keep, bury, or scatter. It uses significantly less energy than flame cremation and produces no direct CO₂ emissions.
Alternative Cremation and Funeral Services: How Each Option Compares
It helps to understand how the main alternative cremation and funeral services stack up against each other, because the differences are meaningful — not just environmentally, but practically and emotionally.
Standard flame cremation is the most common disposition method in the United States, with a 61.9% cremation rate in 2024 according to the National Funeral Directors Association. It’s affordable relative to traditional burial and gives families flexibility in what they do with the cremation ashes afterward — scattering, interment, keeping them at home, or incorporating them into memorial jewelry. The environmental footprint is moderate: no land use, no embalming chemicals, but significant energy consumption and CO₂ output.
Aquamation (alkaline hydrolysis) produces the same end result — cremation ashes families can keep or scatter — with a fraction of the energy use and no direct emissions. It’s a genuinely greener process. The limitation is availability: relatively few providers offer it in the New York metro area, and it tends to cost more than standard cremation.
Natural organic reduction (human composting) is the newest option and the most ecologically complete — the body is transformed into soil over several weeks, which families can use in a garden or natural setting. New York legalized it in 2022, but provider infrastructure is still developing.
What none of these options inherently provide is a ceremony. Cremation, aquamation, and composting are disposition methods — what you do with the remains is a separate decision. For families who want a meaningful, witnessed farewell in addition to an eco-friendly disposition, scattering ashes at sea combines both into a single experience.
Green Burial Alternatives: Why Sea Burial Fits Nassau County Differently Than Anywhere Else
Nassau County families have a geographic advantage that most people don’t fully appreciate until someone points it out. The South Shore of Nassau County — Long Beach, Freeport, Oceanside, Island Park, Atlantic Beach — sits directly on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The Great South Bay separates these communities from the barrier islands, and beyond Jones Beach and Point Lookout lies open ocean. Families in these communities have lived beside the Atlantic for generations. The ocean isn’t an abstract backdrop — it’s part of who they are.
For those families, sea burial isn’t just a green burial alternative. It’s the most personally resonant one. There’s a difference between choosing a burial method because it’s eco-friendly and choosing one because it genuinely reflects the person who died — where they lived, what they loved, what the landscape of their life looked like. For a lot of Nassau County families, the Atlantic Ocean is that landscape.
We depart from Freeport’s marina at 1 Anchorage Way, Slip A23 — right in the heart of the Nautical Mile, one of Long Island’s most recognized boating communities. Ceremonies take place in open Atlantic waters off Point Lookout, a Nassau County landmark that marks the boundary between the bay and the open ocean. We travel a minimum of three nautical miles offshore, in compliance with EPA requirements, and we handle all permitting and post-ceremony reporting on your behalf.
Our vessel, the Seaspray, is Coast Guard-inspected and sits low in the water — which means when families release ashes, they’re close to the surface, not leaning over a high rail. It’s a small detail that turns out to matter enormously in the moment. The Seaspray also has a heated cabin, which means we operate year-round. Death doesn’t follow a seasonal calendar, and neither do we.
Choosing a Green Burial Option in Nassau County: What Matters Most
Every family’s situation is different. Some are motivated primarily by environmental values. Some want to honor a loved one who spent their life near the water. Some are looking for a more meaningful alternative to a funeral home service that never quite fit who their person was. Most are dealing with all of these things at once.
What matters is that you understand the full range of options — and that you don’t assume “green burial” means only one thing. For Nassau County families, the choices include natural ground burial (largely unavailable locally), water cremation, biodegradable burial methods, and sea burial, which is the one option that’s both genuinely accessible here and capable of being a full, witnessed ceremony.
If sea burial feels like it might be the right fit, we’re happy to walk you through exactly what it involves, answer your questions, and help you plan something that actually reflects the person you’re honoring. Reach out to Eternal Peace Sea Burials at 631-668-5800 — our Burial Coordinator Maria Brusalis is available to talk through your options with no pressure and no obligation.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much does burial at sea cost?
We don’t publish fixed pricing on our website because every ceremony is different — the number of guests, customization requests, catering, religious elements, and other factors all affect the final cost. Contact our Burial Coordinator Maria Brusalis directly at 631-668-5800 for accurate pricing based on your specific needs. For Nassau County families, sea burial is typically a meaningful alternative to the high cost of traditional cemetery burial in the New York metro area, where cemetery plots and conventional funeral services are among the most expensive in the country.
What is a full body sea burial, and is it different from ash scattering?
A full body sea burial involves interring an unembalmed body at sea in a biodegradable container, at a depth of at least 600 feet, in compliance with EPA regulations. It is a distinct process from ash scattering, which involves releasing cremated remains at a minimum of three nautical miles from shore. Our services at Eternal Peace Sea Burials focus on ash scattering ceremonies — both attended, where families come aboard the Seaspray, and unattended, where our captain and crew conduct the ceremony on the family’s behalf and provide a GPS coordinates certificate documenting the exact location.
What kind of biodegradable urn do I need for burial at sea?
For an ocean ash scattering ceremony, the urn must be made entirely of biodegradable materials — no plastics, metals, or synthetic components. Biodegradable urns designed specifically for ocean use are typically made from materials like pressed paper, salt, sand, or natural fibers that dissolve quickly in seawater. We can guide Nassau County families through the right urn options for their ceremony. Non-biodegradable materials — including standard ceramic or metal urns — cannot legally be placed in the ocean under EPA regulations.
What is the Navy burial at sea program, and is it available to everyone?
The U.S. Navy offers a burial at sea program for eligible active duty service members, veterans, and their dependents at no cost. The service is performed by a Navy vessel during a regularly scheduled training deployment, which means families are not present at the ceremony — they receive a letter of notification afterward. Eligibility is limited, and scheduling can take months. For Nassau County families who want a witnessed, attended ceremony — or who want to be present when their loved one’s ashes are scattered — a private sea burial service like ours offers a meaningful alternative or complement to the Navy program.
Is it okay for Catholics to scatter ashes at sea?
This is one of the most common questions we receive from Nassau County families, and it’s a fair one. The Diocese of Rockville Centre covers all of Nassau and Suffolk Counties and is one of the largest Catholic dioceses in the United States. The Catholic Church’s position on cremation has evolved significantly — cremation is permitted, and the Church’s primary guidance is that cremated remains be treated with respect and, ideally, interred in a sacred place rather than scattered. Individual pastoral situations vary, and many families work with their priest to find an approach that honors both their faith and their loved one’s wishes. We offer the option of having a priest present aboard the Seaspray for the ceremony, which allows for last rites, prayers, and blessings in a fully sacramental context. If this is a consideration for your family, we encourage you to speak with your parish and with our Burial Coordinator Maria Brusalis about how we can accommodate your needs.
What is an ash interment ceremony?
An ash interment ceremony is a formal service in which cremated remains are placed in their final resting location — whether that’s a columbarium niche, a burial plot, a biodegradable urn at sea, or another designated place. It can be as simple or as elaborate as the family chooses, and it can include religious rites, music, readings, and personal tributes. At Eternal Peace Sea Burials, our attended sea burial ceremonies function as a full ash interment ceremony — held aboard the Seaspray in open Atlantic waters off the Nassau County coastline, with every element customizable to reflect the person being honored.
Can Navy veterans get a free burial at sea?
Honorably discharged Navy veterans, as well as veterans of other branches who served in certain capacities, may be eligible for the Navy’s burial at sea program at no cost. As noted above, the program is conducted without family present, on a Navy vessel during a scheduled deployment. For families who want to be there — who want to stand on the deck and be part of the farewell — a private attended sea burial service provides that experience. Contact us at 631-668-5800 to learn more about what we offer for veteran families in Nassau County, NY.