|
|
|
 Beach sand |
Factoids MAKING WAVES, August/September 1999 |
|
Our Coasts Are Heavily Visited 180 million people visit U.S. coasts for recreational purposes each year. (Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Year of the Ocean Discussion Papers) Ocean Levels Are Rising The world's oceans are rising on average of 2 mm per year (25.4 mm equals 1 inch) and this could be accelerated by global warming. (Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Year of the Ocean Discussion Papers) Dolphins in Captivity About 3,000 dolphins are in captivity around the world. Unfortunately, the dolphins' life expectancy is reduced drastically. In captivity, they live on average to 7 years of age; in the ocean, they live to 40 years of age. (Source: SOS Grand Bleu) Watching Out for Water Pollution at the Coast Since beach pollution isn't routinely monitored in many places, here are some self-help tips: - Don't head for the beach right after a heavy rain. - Once you've arrived at a beach, caution is still in order: Finding flushable items like condoms, plastic tampon applicators, syringes, and cigarette filters suggests there's a leaking sewer line or a malfunctioning (or overloaded) sewage treatment plant in the area. Especially avoid the outfall from drainpipes that empty onto the beach or into the water. Check for signs declaring portions of a beach off-limits to swimmers. - Other signs of trouble include a sharp change in water color, which may represent an outflow into the ocean from a bay, or a bloom of plankton (a "red tide") dining on nutrients from sewage or other sources. Algae growing on rocks along an open beach and murky water with clumps of algae are also signs of this kind of pollution. [Excerpt from "Finding a Clean Beach," in Consumer Reports, August 1996, pg. 14] |
First Article: We've Got Sand! Victory in WA
MAKING WAVES table of contents
 |
Surfrider Foundation USA: 122 S. El Camino Real #67 San Clemente, CA 92672 tel. (949) 492-8170 fax (949) 492-8142  |
Email addresses: Membership & Catalog: jwright@surfrider.org Chapter Issues: emazzarella@surfrider.org Envir. Issues: ekliszewski@surfrider.org Legal Issues: mkremer@surfrider.org Website Staff: mbabski@surfrider.org Other: info@surfrider.org |
All rights reserved