Surfrider Foundation: MAKING WAVES

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Beach sand	Factoids MAKING WAVES, June/July 1999

Beach Sand
Beach sand is a product of weathering of the land. Along most of the world's beaches, the major source of beach sand is from rivers and streams. Some sand also comes from the erosion of coastal bluffs. The problem is that coastal communities are losing the sand because sand no longer comes down urban rivers. Upstream dams and reservoirs collect sand. This sand is usually mined and sold for use in concrete manufacturing. The sand never reaches the beach. In addition, so many seawalls have been built on coastal bluffs that these seaside cliffs are prevented from eroding into sand.
(Source: Surfrider Foundation's Coastal Structure Manual)

Massive Discharges into U.S. Ocean Waters
More than 2.8 billion gallons of industrial waste water PER DAY are discharged directly into US Ocean waters. 2.3 TRILLION gallons of effluent are discharged into marine waters from sewage treatment facilities annually.
(Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Year of the Ocean Discussion Papers)

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]

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