Summary:
Most people don’t start thinking about burial options until they have to. And when that moment comes — whether it’s sudden or something you’ve been quietly preparing for — the amount of information to sort through can feel overwhelming. What’s actually legal in New York? What does “green burial” even mean? Is the ocean a real option, or just something you’ve seen in movies?
If you’re in Nassau County and looking for something more meaningful, more personal, or more environmentally sound than a conventional funeral, this guide is for you. We’ll walk through what natural burial actually looks like on Long Island, why the ocean is closer to home than most people realize, and where to find local support along the way.
Green Burial Alternatives Available in Nassau County
The term “natural burial” covers more ground than most people expect. At its core, it refers to any form of disposition that avoids the chemicals, concrete, and resource-heavy materials that define a conventional burial. No embalming fluid. No steel casket. No concrete vault. The idea is that the body — or the remains — returns to the natural environment without unnecessary intervention.
In Nassau County, families have a few realistic paths. Land-based green burial involves interment in a biodegradable container in a cemetery section that allows natural decomposition. Locust Valley Cemetery in Locust Valley has moved in this direction, offering Nassau County families a local option for ground burial that aligns with natural burial principles. Aquamation — a water-based alternative to cremation — is available through select providers in the Northeast, though it requires more coordination. And then there’s sea burial, which is the option most Nassau County families don’t realize is sitting right outside their door.
Is Sea Burial Considered a Green or Natural Burial?
Yes — and in many ways, it’s one of the most environmentally straightforward options available. Burial at sea for cremated remains is governed by the EPA’s Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, which requires that ash scattering take place at least three nautical miles from shore and that only biodegradable materials enter the water. No plastics, no synthetic decorations, no metals. The ocean itself becomes the resting place, and nothing is left behind that doesn’t belong there.
Compare that to a conventional burial, which — across the U.S. — consumes roughly 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid annually, along with tens of millions of board feet of hardwood, steel, and reinforced concrete. Or to traditional cremation, which releases hundreds of kilograms of CO₂ per body. Sea burial sidesteps all of that. The remains are returned to the water in a form the ocean can receive, using biodegradable urns that break down naturally.
For Nassau County families, this matters for a practical reason beyond the environmental one: land is expensive and increasingly scarce here. Burial plots in the New York metro area carry significant costs before a single funeral service is added. The Atlantic Ocean, three miles offshore from Nassau County’s South Shore, doesn’t have a waitlist.
What often surprises families is that sea burial isn’t reserved for military personnel or people with nautical backgrounds. Any family can arrange a civilian burial at sea through us. No advance permit is required — we handle EPA reporting within 30 days of the ceremony, and families receive a certificate documenting the exact GPS coordinates of the site. That coordinate record becomes the permanent memorial reference. Families can return to that spot by boat on future anniversaries, birthdays, or whenever they need to feel close again.
How a Sea Burial Ceremony Works
The process is more accessible than most people imagine, and far more personal than the phrase “ash scattering” might suggest. With Eternal Peace Sea Burials, families board the Seaspray — our Coast Guard-inspected vessel — at Freeport Marina, located at 1 Anchorage Way Slip A23 in Freeport, NY. The boat was designed with accessibility in mind: it sits low in the water, which makes boarding and ash release comfortable for everyone, including elderly guests or family members with mobility concerns.
From Freeport, the journey to open water is short. Ceremonies take place off the coast of Point Lookout — the barrier island at the western tip of Jones Beach — well beyond the three-nautical-mile threshold required by the EPA. For families in Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh, Rockville Centre, or Long Beach, this is practically a local landmark. The ocean here isn’t unfamiliar or distant. It’s the same water South Shore families have been fishing, boating, and swimming in for generations.
Once at sea, the ceremony can be as simple or as full as the family wants. Music, flowers, personalized readings, themed decorations — all of it is on the table. A priest can be present for families who want religious rites. Catering is available, from a quiet breakfast to a full meal, if the family wants to gather and share a meal on the water. Pets are welcome aboard.
For unattended services, our team conducts the ceremony on the family’s behalf, and the GPS coordinates are provided afterward. There’s no single template — the ceremony reflects the person being honored, not a standard script.
One more thing worth knowing: the Seaspray has a heated cabin. We operate year-round, which means families aren’t forced to wait for spring or avoid a meaningful winter date. If your loved one’s birthday falls in January, or if the family needs to gather in December, that’s not a problem.
Green Burial Services and Grief Support in Nassau County
Choosing a burial option is one part of the process. The grief that surrounds it is another, and Nassau County has a meaningful network of organizations built specifically to help families through it. Below is a curated list of hospices, counselors, end-of-life support providers, and bereavement organizations serving Long Island — people and programs who do this work every day and are worth knowing about.
These organizations serve the same families we do. If you’re in the middle of planning, or if someone you love is in the final stages of illness, any one of these groups can be a genuine resource.
Nassau County Hospice and Palliative Care Organizations
Good Shepherd Hospice is part of Catholic Health Long Island and operates a Nassau bereavement center at 99 Sunnyside Blvd in Woodbury, NY 11797. Their bereavement services extend to Nassau and Suffolk County families for 13 months following a patient’s death — and they offer specialized grief programs for children as well. You can reach them at 516-832-7100.
Hospice of New York has been serving Nassau County families since 1997. They operate with an interdisciplinary care model and offer bereavement support groups that are open to the broader community — not just families of former patients. Their groups have included programs specifically for surviving spouses and family members navigating loss.
Calvary Hospital’s CalvaryCare program provides Medicare-certified hospice services to Nassau County residents. Calvary is the only hospice on Long Island backed by its own hospital, which gives them a level of clinical support most standalone hospice organizations don’t have access to. They’ve been operating since 1899, and their home hospice program extends directly into Nassau County communities.
NYU Langone Hospital–Long Island, based in Mineola, offers community bereavement support through its Spiritual Care department. Their programs are open to the broader public, not just hospital patients. You can reach their Spiritual Care team at 516-663-4749, or visit them at 1300 Franklin Avenue in Garden City.
Hospice Care Network serves both Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Their Nassau office is also located at 99 Sunnyside Blvd in Woodbury (516-832-7100), and they run population-specific bereavement groups — including programs designed for particular types of loss and life circumstances.
Grief Counselors, Bereavement Groups, and End-of-Life Doulas on Long Island
The COPE Foundation supports parents and families who have lost a child. They meet at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow — specifically at the Lanin Carriage House, Field 6A — and can be reached at 516-832-2673. If you’ve experienced the particular grief of losing a son or daughter, COPE offers community with people who understand that specific kind of loss.
The Compassionate Friends is a national organization with a Long Island presence, also focused on supporting families after the death of a child. Their chapters provide peer-led support in a group setting, and the organization has decades of experience working with bereaved parents and siblings.
Bittersweet Counseling offers one-on-one and group grief counseling through offices in both Nassau and Suffolk County. For families who want professional, individualized support alongside or after a group experience, this is a practical local option.
End-of-life doulas are a less widely known but increasingly valuable resource for families navigating a terminal diagnosis or the final stages of life. INELDA — the International End of Life Doula Association — has trained doulas active on Long Island, including practitioners featured in regional news coverage. Doulas don’t provide medical care; they offer emotional, spiritual, and practical support to the person dying and to their family. If you’ve never heard of an end-of-life doula, it’s worth learning more at inelda.org.
End of Life Education & Healing (eeh.org) offers bereavement programs and training to community organizations across Long Island. They work at the intersection of education and healing, and their resources are accessible to both individuals and organizations.
Long Island Community Hospital Hospice runs a bereavement group that can be reached at 631-687-2960. Their program serves families in the broader Long Island area and provides structured group support in the months following a loss.
Finding the Right Natural Burial Option for Your Nassau County Family
There’s no single right answer when it comes to natural burial. What matters is that the choice feels honest — aligned with the values of the person you’re honoring and manageable for the family carrying it out. For many Nassau County families, that means something simpler, more personal, and more connected to the landscape they actually live in.
The ocean has been part of life on Long Island’s South Shore for as long as anyone can remember. For families in Freeport, Merrick, Long Beach, Wantagh, or anywhere across Nassau County, returning a loved one to those waters isn’t a strange or unfamiliar idea. It’s a deeply local one.
If you’re ready to learn more about what a sea burial ceremony looks like — or if you have questions about the process, the legal requirements, or what your family can expect — reach out to Eternal Peace Sea Burials. Our Burial Coordinator Maria Brusalis is available to walk you through everything, and there’s no obligation in asking.