Answer:
Wave erosion
Step-by-step explanation:
The barrier islands are defined as a type of island constructed by the long stretches of sand particles that are oriented parallel to the coastal areas. They are often found to be associated with estuaries and lagoons which provides valuable nutrients to the marine organisms existing in this region.
These barrier islands are formed from the deposition of the sand particles near the coastal areas. These sands are carried by the waves that weather the coastal rocks and also some of the sediments are carried from the sea, that is eventually accumulated near the coast where the wave velocity is comparatively less, due to which these sand particles are accumulated, and over a specific period of time, it forms a barrier island.
Thus, waves are the natural erosional agent that creates the barrier islands along the southern coastal region of Long Island, in New York City.