Americans love the beach. The unofficial launch of summer last weekend brought crowds out to bask, swim, sculpt sandcastles and take romantic strolls hand in hand. The irresistible allure of surf and sun consistently make beaches our No. l vacation destination. The EPA says Americans take 910 million trips to the beach annually, and the latest Census figures show that more than half of us now live along a coast.
But is America loving its favorite playground to death? In recent years, our shorelines have become increasingly threatened, and some of our beaches have become unsafe.
"The oceans are in trouble, our coasts are in trouble, our marine resources are in trouble," says retired U.S. Navy Adm. James Watkins, now chairman of the United States Commission on Ocean Policy.
The commission's forthcoming final report to the President-the first review of national coastal management in 35 years-is expected to validate the conclusions of many conservation groups, marine scientists and environmental studies that say our seas and coastlines are in decline.
With pollution, erosion, contamination and overdevelopment facing us, it's no day at the beach for America's waterways. "We've got serious problems," says Admiral Watkins, "and the obstacles are big."
Global Trash Can
If, as the late Jacques Cousteau remarked, the ocean is often used as the world's sewer, many apparently think of the coastline as a trash can.
"One throwaway plastic bottle may seem insignificant, but when you add them up, it has a huge impact on our ecology," says Admiral Watkins. Dr. Allan Williams of the University of Glamorgan in Wales, who has conducted numerous surveys on coastal pollution, agrees. "Eighty-five percent of the world's [litter] comes from land and people," he says.
Worldwide, 70 percent of our beaches are eroding. Pollution and shoreline overdevelopment compound the problem.
Barbara Cohen gets upset when she takes a walk on the beach near her home in Far Rockaway, N.Y., and sees bottles, discarded fishnets and food containers littering the sand. Last September, she joined 450,000 participants worldwide in the 18th annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). Volunteers scavenged the surf and shoals collecting litter-including countless plastic bottles, 1.9 million cigarette filters and 8282 syringes worldwide.
Unfortunately, numbers like that are nothing new. More than 80 million tons of trash have been collected during the annual cleanups since the mid-1980s.
The ICC documents this waste so it can chart litter's global drift and ecological effects. "Debris respects no state or national boundaries," says Seba Sheavly of The Ocean Conservancy, the U.S.-based environmental group that sponsors the cleanup. "It will float anywhere."
Williams has seen varied attitudes toward waste across the globe: "If you go to beaches in New Zealand and Australia, and you leave your litter there, everyone will say, 'Hey mate....pick up the trash.' You are shamed into picking it up. Why that isn't the case in the U.S. and in Europe, where we just leave things behind, I don't know."
Disappearing Sands
"Worldwide, 70 percent of our beaches are eroding," says Stephen Leatherman, director of the National Healthy Beaches Campaign. He conducts independent analyses on beach quality on all coasts. "The rates vary from a few inches a year to 15 feet," adds Leatherman, also known as "Dr. Beach."
Many scientists believe that rising sea levels-a negative consequence of global warming-are the underlying reason for increased erosion. Compounding the shifting shore problem are pollution and construction too close to the water's edge.
"Population growth is the biggest threat to our coastal areas," says Walter McLeod, president of the Clean Beaches Council. It found that more of the U.S. population (52.7 percent) is living in a coastal area now than at any time in U.S. history. "We can't stripmall the coastal zone," McLeod adds. "Our kids are going to pay the price."
Leatherman says that tourist communities need to think more long-term about overdevelopment and pollution. As one of the experts who testified before the Commission on Ocean Policy, he hopes a new national plan will address those issues.
"People want to be right next to the water with a good view," Leatherman notes. "The problem is, if the beaches erode, the view gets a little too good, doesn't it?"
Sea Sicknesses
A growing concern are mysterious offshore sea sicknesses, which are killing wildlife and creating public health hazards. A popular section of California's Huntington Beach (immortalized by Jan & Dean as "Surf City") has been plagued by a recurring bacterial outbreak.
"There are potential health threats along the coast, and we don't know for sure what they are," Walter McLeod says.
"People want to be next to the water with a good view. But if beaches erode, the view gets a little too good, doesn't it?" -- Stephen Leatherman, director, National Healthy Beaches Campaign
Beach closures have been on the increase nationally. Everything from cruise ship dumping to storm drain runoffs have been cited as potential causes of unsafe E. coli levels, but no one knows for sure.
"Local authorities often don't know the sources of bacteria and other pollution," concludes a 2003 report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The Surfrider Foundation-a nonprofit environmental organization started by California surfers-issues an annual state-by-state coastal survey. Its latest "state of the beach" report notes: "Information is so lacking that, in many cases, the health of our nation's beaches is nearly impossible to determine."
New Initiatives
The Commission on Ocean Policy's historic survey, with input from the nation's governors, will hit the President's desk this summer, containing recommendations on a wide range of marine environment initiatives. "It will detail challenges but also offer solutions," Admiral Watkins says. "This is a hopeful blueprint for the future."
Meanwhile, concerned groups will continue to do what they can. Thousands of citizens will identify and mark storm drains in and around tourist-heavy beach towns such as Ocean City, Md., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Virginia Beach this summer. The hope is that making the drains clearly visible will cause citizens to be more aware of oil, household chemicals and other harmful runoffs potentially seeping into ocean waters.
And volunteers like Barbara Cohen will return to the sand this September to once again document pollution and scoop up garbage. "It is a matter of education," says Cohen, a veteran of 18 years of coastal cleanups. "Once people become aware that they can be the solution to the problem, not just by cleaning beaches but also by changing their habits, we will have made great strides."
What You Can Do
If we all do our part, we can help save and protect our beaches.
Pick up litter. "All of the trash in our waters shares a common origin-it left human hands," says Seba Sheavly of the Ocean Conservancy.
Protect the dunes. Use walkovers or pathways instead of treading on these fragile barriers. "In a storm, the dune is the first line of defense," says Walter McLeod of the Clean Beaches Council.
Respect natural habitats. Don't disturb wildlife and vegetation. "The beach is a place for us to lay down our towels and sunbathe," says Chad Nelsen of the Surfrider Foundation. "But it's also a habitat, like a coral reef or a wetland."
Mind your pet...and yourself. Use public restrooms and clean up after Rover.
Remember the storm drains. Properly dispose of household chemicals and use as little fertilizer as possible on lawns. Wherever you live, these potential pollutants can impact coastal environments.
Join The Cleanup
Volunteers in more than 100 countries will join in the 19th annual International Coastal Cleanup, sponsored by The Ocean Conservancy, this September. You could be one of them. For links to the conservancy and other environmental groups, visit http://www.parade.com/ and click on "WebLinks."