PROCEEDINGS AND SUMMARY REPORT: WORKSHOP ON THE FATE, TRANSPORT, AND TRANSFORMATION OF MERCURY IN AQUATIC AND TERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS, MAY 8-10, 2001, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

EPA Science Inventory

The Workshop on the Fate, Transport, and Transformation of Mercury in Aquatic and Terrestrial Environments was held on May 8-10, 2001 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The workshop was conducted by the USEPA's Office of Research and Development and cosponsored by the U.S. Geological S...

Florida Red Tide and Human Health: A Pilot Beach Conditions Reporting System to Minimize Human Exposure

PubMed Central

Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Currier, Robert; Nierenberg, Kate; Reich, Andrew; Backer, Lorraine C.; Stumpf, Richard; Fleming, Lora; Kirkpatrick, Gary

2008-01-01

With over 50% of the US population living in coastal counties, the ocean and coastal environments have substantial impacts on coastal communities. While may of the impacts are positive, such as tourism and recreation opportunities, there are also negative impacts, such as exposure to harmful algal blooms (HABs) and water borne pathogens. Recent advances in environmental monitoring and weather prediction may allow us to forecast these potential adverse effects and thus mitigate the negative impact from coastal environmental threats. One example of the need to mitigate adverse environmental impacts occurs on Florida’s west coast, which experiences annual blooms, or periods of exuberant growth, of the toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. K. brevis produces a suite of potent neurotoxins called brevetoxins. Wind and wave action can break up the cells, releasing toxin that can then become part of the marine aerosol or sea spray. Brevetoxins in the aerosol cause respiratory irritation in people who inhale it. In addition, asthmatics who inhale the toxins report increase upper and lower airway lower symptoms and experience measurable changes in pulmonary function. Real-time reporting of the presence or absence of these toxic aerosols will allow asthmatics and local coastal residents to make informed decisions about their personal exposures, thus adding to their quality of life. A system to protect public health that combines information collected by an Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) has been designed and implemented in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Florida. This system is based on real-time reports from lifeguards at the eight public beaches. The lifeguards provide periodic subjective reports of the amount of dead fish on the beach, apparent level of respiratory irritation among beach-goers, water color, wind direction, surf condition, and the beach warning flag they are flying. A key component in the design of the observing system was an easy reporting

77 FR 26229 - Meloy Channel, U.S. Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, FL; Restricted Area

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-03

....S. Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, FL; Restricted Area AGENCY: United States Army Corps of Engineers... the waters surrounding the U.S. Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, Florida (Base Miami Beach). Base Miami... corridors encompassing the waters immediately contiguous to Base Miami Beach. The amendment will also serve...

KSC-03PD-2075

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Three NASCAR drivers, (from left) Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jarrett and Ryan Newman, get a close look at the orbiter Endeavour during their tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

KSC-03PD-2081

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. NASCAR driver Ryan Newman poses outside the hatch of orbiter Endeavour. Newman and other drivers Dale Jarrett and Jimmie Johnson were on a tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

KSC-03PD-2080

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson poses outside the hatch of orbiter Endeavour. Johnson and other drivers Ryan Newman and Dale Jarrett were on a tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

Hydrogeologic and Hydraulic Characterization of the Surficial Aquifer System, and Origin of High Salinity Groundwater, Palm Beach County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reese, Ronald S.; Wacker, Michael A.

2009-01-01

Previous studies of the hydrogeology of the surficial aquifer system in Palm Beach County, Florida, have focused mostly on the eastern one-half to one-third of the county in the more densely populated coastal areas. These studies have not placed the hydrogeology in a framework in which stratigraphic units in this complex aquifer system are defined and correlated between wells. Interest in the surficial aquifer system has increased because of population growth, westward expansion of urbanized areas, and increased utilization of surface-water resources in the central and western areas of the county. In 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the South Florida Water Management District, initiated an investigation to delineate the hydrogeologic framework of the surficial aquifer system in Palm Beach County, based on a lithostratigraphic framework, and to evaluate hydraulic properties and characteristics of units and permeable zones within this framework. A lithostratigraphic framework was delineated by correlating markers between all wells with data available based primarily on borehole natural gamma-ray geophysical log signatures and secondarily, lithologic characteristics. These correlation markers approximately correspond to important lithostratigraphic unit boundaries. Using the markers as guides to their boundaries, the surficial aquifer system was divided into three main permeable zones or subaquifers, which are designated, from shallowest to deepest, zones 1, 2, and 3. Zone 1 is above the Tamiami Formation in the Anastasia and Fort Thompson Formations. Zone 2 primarily is in the upper part or Pinecrest Sand Member of the Tamiami Formation, and zone 3 is in the Ochopee Limestone Member of the Tamiami Formation or its correlative equivalent. Differences in the lithologic character exist between these three zones, and these differences commonly include differences in the nature of the pore space. Zone 1 attains its greatest thickness (50 feet or more

KSC-03PD-2077

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett gets a close look at the orbiter Endeavour. Jarrett and other drivers Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman were on a tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

KSC-03PD-2076

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. NASCAR driver Ryan Newman gets a close look at the orbiter Endeavour. Newman and other drivers Jimmie Johnson and Dale Jarrett were on a tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

KSC-03PD-2078

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson gets a close look at the orbiter Endeavour. Johnson and other drivers Ryan Newman and Dale Jarrett were on a tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

KSC-03pd2077

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-02

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett gets a close look at the orbiter Endeavour. Jarrett and other drivers Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman were on a tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

NASCAR drivers pose in Endeavour

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-02

NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson tries out a seat of another vehicle known for speed: the orbiter Endeavour. Johnson and other drivers Dale Jarrett and Ryan Newman were on a tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

NASCAR drivers pose in Endeavour

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-02

NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett tries out a seat of another vehicle known for speed: the orbiter Endeavour. Jarrett and other drivers Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman were on a tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

NASCAR drivers pose in Endeavour

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-02

NASCAR driver Ryan Newman tries out a seat of another vehicle known for speed: the orbiter Endeavour. Newman and other drivers Dale Jarrett and Jimmie Johnson were on a tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

Analysis of water quality and circulation of four recreational Miami beaches through the use of Lagrangian Coherent Structures.

PubMed

Fiorentino, L A; Olascoaga, M J; Reniers, A

2014-06-15

Four popular, recreational beaches in Miami, FL are Hobie Beach, Virginia Key Beach, Crandon Park Beach, and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. While all of the beaches are within a few miles of each other in Biscayne Bay, they have greatly differing water qualities, as determined by the testing for fecal indicator bacteria performed by the Florida Department of Health. Using the geodesic theory of transport barriers, we identify Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs) in each area. We show how these material curves, which shape circulation and mixing patterns, can be used to explain the incongruous states of the water at beaches that should be comparable. The LCSs are computed using a hydrodynamic model and verified through field experimentation at each beach. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Second Launch Attempt

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-15

Photographed from the F-18 pathfinder aircraft, the Orbital ATK L-1011 Stargazer aircraft is seen flying over the Atlantic Ocean offshore from Daytona Beach, Florida. Attached beneath the aircraft is the Pegasus XL rocket with eight Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, spacecraft. The CYGNSS satellites will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a crucial role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS Second Launch Attempt, Drop & Launch of Rocket

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-15

The Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket carrying NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, spacecraft is released and the first stage ignites at 8:37 a.m. EST. The rocket was released from the Orbital ATK L-1011 Stargazer aircraft flying over the Atlantic Ocean offshore from Daytona Beach, Florida following takeoff from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This image was taken from a NASA F-18 chase plane provided by Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. The CYGNSS satellites will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes.

77 FR 63722 - Special Local Regulations; Palm Beach World Championship, Atlantic Ocean; Jupiter, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-17

...-AA08 Special Local Regulations; Palm Beach World Championship, Atlantic Ocean; Jupiter, FL AGENCY... offshore of Jupiter, Florida during the Palm Beach World Championship, a high speed power boat race. The Palm Beach World Championship is scheduled to take place on Friday, October 19, and Sunday, October 21...

Aerosolized Red Tide Toxins (Brevetoxins) and Asthma: Continued health effects after 1 hour beach exposure.

PubMed

Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Fleming, Lora E; Bean, Judy A; Nierenberg, Kate; Backer, Lorraine C; Cheng, Yung Sung; Pierce, Richard; Reich, Andrew; Naar, Jerome; Wanner, Adam; Abraham, William M; Zhou, Yue; Hollenbeck, Julie; Baden, Daniel G

2011-01-01

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, produce potent neurotoxins in marine aerosols. Recent studies have demonstrated acute changes in both symptoms and pulmonary function in asthmatics after only 1 hour of beach exposure to these aerosols. This study investigated if there were latent and/or sustained effects in asthmatics in the days following the initial beach exposure during periods with and without an active Florida red tide.Symptom data and spirometry data were collected before and after 1 hour of beach exposure. Subjects kept daily symptom diaries and measured their peak flow each morning for 5 days following beach exposure. During non-exposure periods, there were no significant changes in symptoms or pulmonary function either acutely or over 5 days of follow-up. After the beach exposure during an active Florida red tide, subjects had elevated mean symptoms which did not return to the pre-exposure baseline for at least 4 days. The peak flow measurements decreased after the initial beach exposure, decreased further within 24 hours, and continued to be suppressed even after 5 days. Asthmatics may continue to have increased symptoms and delayed respiratory function suppression for several days after 1 hour of exposure to the Florida red tide toxin aerosols.

Aerosolized Red Tide Toxins (Brevetoxins) and Asthma: Continued health effects after 1 hour beach exposure

PubMed Central

Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Fleming, Lora E; Bean, Judy A; Nierenberg, Kate; Backer, Lorraine C; Cheng, Yung Sung; Pierce, Richard; Reich, Andrew; Naar, Jerome; Wanner, Adam; Abraham, William M; Zhou, Yue; Hollenbeck, Julie; Baden, Daniel G

2010-01-01

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, produce potent neurotoxins in marine aerosols. Recent studies have demonstrated acute changes in both symptoms and pulmonary function in asthmatics after only 1 hour of beach exposure to these aerosols. This study investigated if there were latent and/or sustained effects in asthmatics in the days following the initial beach exposure during periods with and without an active Florida red tide. Symptom data and spirometry data were collected before and after 1 hour of beach exposure. Subjects kept daily symptom diaries and measured their peak flow each morning for 5 days following beach exposure. During non-exposure periods, there were no significant changes in symptoms or pulmonary function either acutely or over 5 days of follow-up. After the beach exposure during an active Florida red tide, subjects had elevated mean symptoms which did not return to the pre-exposure baseline for at least 4 days. The peak flow measurements decreased after the initial beach exposure, decreased further within 24 hours, and continued to be suppressed even after 5 days. Asthmatics may continue to have increased symptoms and delayed respiratory function suppression for several days after 1 hour of exposure to the Florida red tide toxin aerosols. PMID:21499552

KSC-03PD-2083

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. NASCAR driver Ryan Newman tries out a seat of another vehicle known for speed: the orbiter Endeavour. Newman and other drivers Dale Jarrett and Jimmie Johnson were on a tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

KSC-03PD-2082

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson tries out a seat of another vehicle known for speed: the orbiter Endeavour. Johnson and other drivers Dale Jarrett and Ryan Newman were on a tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

KSC-03PD-2079

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett tries out a seat of another vehicle known for speed: the orbiter Endeavour. Jarrett and other drivers Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman were on a tour of KSC. The men are scheduled to drive in the Pepsi 400 auto race being held July 5 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach.

Inland Transport of Aerosolized Florida Red Tide Toxins.

PubMed

Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Pierce, Richard; Cheng, Yung Sung; Henry, Michael S; Blum, Patricia; Osborn, Shannon; Nierenberg, Kate; Pederson, Bradley A; Fleming, Lora E; Reich, Andrew; Naar, Jerome; Kirkpatrick, Gary; Backer, Lorraine C; Baden, Daniel

2010-02-01

Florida red tides, an annual event off the west coast of Florida, are caused by the toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. K. brevis produces a suite of potent neurotoxins, brevetoxins, which kill fish, sea birds, and marine mammals, as well as sickening humans who consume contaminated shellfish. These toxins become part of the marine aerosol, and can also be inhaled by humans and other animals. Recent studies have demonstrated a significant increase in symptoms and decrease lung function in asthmatics after only one hour of beach exposure during an onshore Florida red tide bloom.This study constructed a transect line placing high volume air samplers to measure brevetoxins at sites beginning at the beach, moving approximately 6.4 km inland. One non-exposure and 2 exposure studies, each of 5 days duration, were conducted. No toxins were measured in the air during the non-exposure period. During the 2 exposure periods, the amount of brevetoxins varied considerably by site and by date. Nevertheless, brevetoxins were measured at least 4.2 kilometers from the beach and/or 1.6 km from the coastal shoreline. Therefore, populations sensitive to brevetoxins (such as asthmatics) need to know that leaving the beach may not discontinue their environmental exposure to brevetoxin aerosols.

Final Environmental Assessment for Advanced Littoral Reconnaissance Technologies (ALRT) Project at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-28

the Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and Yucatan . Most loggerhead hatchlings originating from U.S. beaches are believed to spend their...beaches near Panama City; and (5) Yucatan Subpopulation occurring on the eastern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (Bowen et at. , 1993; Encalada et at. , 1998...be detected from the State of Florida’s Index Nesting Beach Survey program from 1989 to 2002. Nesting surveys in the Northwest Florida and Yucatan

First Case of Bioterrorism-Related Inhalational Anthrax in the United States, Palm Beach County, Florida, 2001

PubMed Central

Wiersma, Steven T.; Rosenstein, Nancy E.; Malecki, Jean M.; Shepard, Colin W.; Raghunathan, Pratima L.; Pillai, Segaran P.; Popovic, Tanja; Quinn, Conrad P.; Meyer, Richard F.; Zaki, Sharif R.; Kumar, Savita; Bruce, Sherrie M.; Sejvar, James J.; Dull, Peter M.; Tierney, Bruce C.; Jones, Joshua D.; Perkins, Bradley A.

2002-01-01

On October 4, 2001, we confirmed the first bioterrorism-related anthrax case identified in the United States in a resident of Palm Beach County, Florida. Epidemiologic investigation indicated that exposure occurred at the workplace through intentionally contaminated mail. One additional case of inhalational anthrax was identified from the index patient’s workplace. Among 1,076 nasal cultures performed to assess exposure, Bacillus anthracis was isolated from a co-worker later confirmed as being infected, as well as from an asymptomatic mail-handler in the same workplace. Environmental cultures for B. anthracis showed contamination at the workplace and six county postal facilities. Environmental and nasal swab cultures were useful epidemiologic tools that helped direct the investigation towards the infection source and transmission vehicle. We identified 1,114 persons at risk and offered antimicrobial prophylaxis. PMID:12396910

Accessible Bus Service in Palm Beach County, Florida

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-03-01

The Palm Beach County Transportation Authority introduced accessible fixed-route service on its countywide CoTran bus service in May 1980. CoTran provided 100% (full-fleet) accessible service, using 23 retrofitted buses and 40 new buses, all equipped...

Significance of beach geomorphology on fecal indicator bacteria levels.

PubMed

Donahue, Allison; Feng, Zhixuan; Kelly, Elizabeth; Reniers, Ad; Solo-Gabriele, Helena M

2017-08-15

Large databases of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) measurements are available for coastal waters. With the assistance of satellite imagery, we illustrated the power of assessing data for many sites by evaluating beach features such as geomorphology, distance from rivers and canals, presence of piers and causeways, and degree of urbanization coupled with the enterococci FIB database for the state of Florida. We found that beach geomorphology was the primary characteristic associated with enterococci levels that exceeded regulatory guidelines. Beaches in close proximity to marshes or within bays had higher enterococci exceedances in comparison to open coast beaches. For open coast beaches, greater enterococci exceedances were associated with nearby rivers and higher levels of urbanization. Piers and causeways had a minimal contribution, as their effect was often overwhelmed by beach geomorphology. Results can be used to understand the potential causes of elevated enterococci levels and to promote public health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KSC-2011-1483

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds show their precision formation as they fly over NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They are taking part in the prerace festivities at the Daytona International Speedway for the 53rd running of the Daytona 500. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-1482

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds show their precision formation as they fly over NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They are taking part in the prerace festivities at the Daytona International Speedway for the 53rd running of the Daytona 500. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

The fate of wastewater-derived nitrate in the subsurface of the Florida Keys: Key Colony Beach, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griggs, E.M.; Kump, L.R.; Böhlke, J.K.

2003-01-01

 Shallow injection is the predominant mode of wastewater disposal for most tourist-oriented facilities and some residential communities in the US Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Concern has been expressed that wastewater nutrients may be escaping from the saline groundwater system into canals and surrounding coastal waters and perhaps to the reef tract 10 km offshore, promoting unwanted algal growth and degradation of water quality. We performed a field study of the fate of wastewater-derived nitrate in the subsurface of a Florida Keys residential community (Key Colony Beach, FL) that uses this disposal method, analyzing samples from 21 monitoring wells and two canal sites. The results indicate that wastewater injection at 18–27 m depth into saline groundwater creates a large buoyant plume that flows quickly (within days) upward to a confining layer 6 m below the surface, and then in a fast flow path toward a canal 200 m to the east within a period of weeks to months. Low-salinity groundwaters along the fast flow path have nitrate concentrations that are not significantly reduced from that of the injected wastewaters (ranging from 400 to 600 μmol kg−1). Portions of the low-salinity plume off the main axis of flow have relatively long residence times (>2 months) and have had their nitrate concentrations strongly reduced by a combination of mixing and denitrification. These waters have dissolved N2 concentrations up to 1.6 times air-saturation values with δ15 N[N2]=0.5-5‰, δ15N[NO3-]=16-26‰, and calculated isotope fractionation factors of about −12±4‰, consistent with denitrification as the predominant nitrate reduction reaction. Estimated rates of denitrification of wastewater in the aquifer are of the order of 4 μmol kg-1 N day-1 or 0.008 day-1. The data indicate that denitrification reduces the nitrate load of the injected wastewater substantially, but not completely, before it discharges to nearby canals.

Terrestrial-based lidar beach topography of Fire Island, New York, June 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brenner, Owen T.; Hapke, Cheryl J.; Lee, Kathryn G.; Kimbrow, Dustin R.

2016-02-19

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) in Florida and the USGS Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center (LMG WSC) in Montgomery, Alabama, collaborated to gather alongshore terrestrial-based lidar beach elevation data at Fire Island, New York. This high-resolution elevation dataset was collected on June 11, 2014, to characterize beach topography and document ongoing beach evolution and recovery, and is part of the ongoing beach monitoring within the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Project GS2-2B. This USGS data series includes the resulting processed elevation point data (xyz) and an interpolated digital elevation model (DEM).

Measuring the effects of morphological changes to sea turtle nesting beaches over time with LiDAR data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Kristina H.; Anderson, Sharolyn J.; Sutton, Paul C.

2015-10-01

Sea turtle nesting beaches in southeastern Florida were evaluated for changes from 1999 to 2005 using LiDAR datasets. Changes to beach volume were correlated with changes in several elevation-derived characteristics, such as elevation and slope. In addition, these changes to beach geomorphology were correlated to changes in nest success, illustrating that beach alterations may affect sea turtle nesting behavior. The ability to use LiDAR datasets to quickly and efficiently conduct beach comparisons for habitat use represents another benefit to this high spatial resolution data.

KSC-2011-1481

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds show their precision formation as they fly over Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They are taking part in the prerace festivities at the Daytona International Speedway for the 53rd running of the Daytona 500. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Evaluation of shared lane markings in Miami Beach, Florida.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-04-01

This report is a before-after evaluation of shared lane markings on Washington Avenue in Miami Beach, FL, which requested and received permission from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to conduct a pilot study of shared lane markings. The mar...

Economic interrelationships and impacts of the aviation/aerospace industry in the state of Florida using input-output analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whealan George, Kelly

The study provided a detailed description of the interrelatedness of the aviation and aerospace industry with principal industries in Florida and Volusia County (VC) using Input-Output (IO) analysis. Additionally, this research provided an economic impact analysis of the creation of a university research park in Daytona Beach (DB). The economic impact measures included not only direct economic output and industry employment descriptions but also described the multiplier effects in the form of indirect and induced impacts using data for 2012. This research concluded the average labor income of the aviation and aerospace industry was higher than average labor income in Florida and VC. A substantive difference between the Florida and VC average labor income for the aviation and aerospace industry existed because VC's aerospace sector was only concentrated in the search, detection, and navigation instruments manufacturing sector. VC's transport by air sector was one-fifth the size of Florida's. Differences in the aviation and aerospace industry composition between Florida and VC are important because the economic impacts from a shock to the entire aviation and aerospace industry will be distributed differently. Since the aviation and aerospace average labor income is higher than the average labor income in Florida and VC, it would be a positive move for Florida's economy to attract and grow the aviation and aerospace industry. It would be highly unlikely that the entirety of newly created jobs would be resourced from the local population. Nonetheless, growing the aviation and aerospace industry jobs would have a positive influence on the region's economy and tax revenues. It would be a desirable course of action to spur the growth of this sector, as its direct effect would culminate with additional jobs in Florida that would bring higher wage jobs to the state. The interdependencies of the aviation and aerospace industry in Florida and VC with other industries had a

KSC-2009-1872

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-02-25

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Chief Safety and Mission Assurance Officer, Bryan D. O'Connor (left), presents a Quality and Safety Achievement Recognition, or QASAR, award for 2008 to Robert D. Straney (center). Straney, an employee of United Space Alliance at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, received the award for his attention to detail in an inspection of the space shuttle Discovery. At right is Dr. Michael Ryschkewitsch, NASA's chief engineer. Straney received the award at NASA's sixth annual Project Management Challenge in Daytona Beach, Fla. The QASAR award recognizes individual government and contractor employees who have demonstrated exemplary performance in contributing to the quality and/or safety of products, services, processes or management programs and activities. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Ground-water quality at the site of a proposed deep-well injection system for treated wastewater, West Palm Beach, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitt, William A.; Meyer, Frederick W.

1976-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey collected scientific and technical information before, during, and after construction of a deep test well at the location of a future regional waste-water treatment plant to be built for the city of West Palm Beach, Florida. Data from the test well will be used by the city in the design of a proposed deep-well injection system for disposal of effluent from the treatment plant. Shallow wells in the vicinity of the drilling site were inventoried and sampled to provide a data base for detecting changes in ground water quality during construction and later operation of the deep wells. In addition, 16 small-diameter monitor wells, ranging in depth from 10 to 162 feet, were drilled at the test site. During the drilling of the deep test well, water samples were collected weekly from the 16 monitor wells for determination of chloride content and specific conductance. Evidence of small spills of salt water were found in monitor wells ranging in depth from 10 to 40 feet. Efforts to remove the salt water from the shallow unconfined aquifer by pumping were undertaken by the drilling contractor at the request of the city of West Palm Beach. The affected area is small and there has been a reduction of chloride concentration.

Palm Beach Community College Strategic Plan, 1999-2004.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samuels, Seymour

This report addresses strategies and action plans for Palm Beach Community College (PBCC) (Florida) between 1999-2004. As part of a commitment to achieve specific, measurable end results, the college has set various objectives, including: (1) develop, implement and institutionalize a mission driven strategic budget for the 1999-2000 fiscal year;…

Environmental Assessment: Relocation of Facilities at Hurlburt Field, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-01

fern (Pteridium aquilinum), and highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). The access road route to the NE Area proposed under Alternatives 1 and 2...Beach, in said Okaloosa County, Florida. and that the said newspaper has heretofore been continuously published io said Okaloosa County, Florida...bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), and highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). The NE Area is surrounded entirely by a large forested wetland

Effect of beach management policies on recreational water quality.

PubMed

Kelly, Elizabeth A; Feng, Zhixuan; Gidley, Maribeth L; Sinigalliano, Christopher D; Kumar, Naresh; Donahue, Allison G; Reniers, Adrianus J H M; Solo-Gabriele, Helena M

2018-04-15

When beach water monitoring programs identify poor water quality, the causes are frequently unknown. We hypothesize that management policies play an important role in the frequency of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) exceedances (enterococci and fecal coliform) at recreational beaches. To test this hypothesis we implemented an innovative approach utilizing large amounts of monitoring data (n > 150,000 measurements per FIB) to determine associations between the frequency of contaminant exceedances and beach management practices. The large FIB database was augmented with results from a survey designed to assess management policies for 316 beaches throughout the state of Florida. The FIB and survey data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, factor analysis, and linear regression. Results show that beach geomorphology (beach type) was highly associated with exceedance of regulatory standards. Low enterococci exceedances were associated with open coast beaches (n = 211) that have sparse human densities, no homeless populations, low densities of dogs and birds, bird management policies, low densities of seaweed, beach renourishment, charge access fees, employ lifeguards, without nearby marinas, and those that manage storm water. Factor analysis and a linear regression confirmed beach type as the predominant factor with secondary influences from grooming activities (including seaweed densities and beach renourishment) and beach access (including charging fees, employing lifeguards, and without nearby marinas). Our results were observable primarily because of the very large public FIB database available for analyses; similar approaches can be adopted at other beaches. The findings of this research have important policy implications because the selected beach management practices that were associated with low levels of FIB can be implemented in other parts of the US and around the world to improve recreational beach water quality. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All

Hydrodynamics and Marine Optics during Cold Fronts at Santa Rosa Island, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

Journal of Coastal Research 28 S 1073-1087 Coconut Creek, Florida September 2012 Hydrodynamics and Marine Optics during Cold Fronts at Santa Rosa...Research, 28ɝ), 1073-1087. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Observations of optical and hydrodynamic processes were made on the open beach on

Environmental Assessment for Destin 4th of July Fireworks and Beach Cleanup

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

as nesting along the gulf coast of Florida but there have been no known nestings on Eglin beaches. Along with the olive ridley , the Kemp’s ridley ...associated infauna, while adult diet consists primarily of crabs. Kemp’s ridleys are not known to nest on Eglin’s Beaches. Piping Plover The piping...frontal dune and scrub habitat within the coastal dune ecosystem on SRI, preferring sand- covered slopes with patches of grasses and herbs, and their diet

75 FR 1420 - Florida Disaster # FL-00049

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-11

... Flooding. Incident Period: 12/17/2009. Effective Date: 12/29/2009. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 03/01/2010. Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 09/29/2010. ADDRESSES: Submit... disaster: Primary Counties: Broward. Contiguous Counties: Florida: Collier, Hendry, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach...

76 FR 68804 - Florida Disaster #FL-00064

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-07

... Tornadoes. Incident Period: 10/18/2011. Effective Date: 10/27/2011. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 12/27/2011. Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 07/27/2012. ADDRESSES: Submit... disaster: Primary Counties: Broward. Contiguous Counties: Florida: Collier, Hendry, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach...

The 47th annual Florida pesticide residue workshop

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This is an introductory article to a special section of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry consisting of publications from the 47th Annual Florida Pesticide Residue Workshop held in St. Pete Beach, FL in July of 2010....

Northeast Florida Regional Sediment Management: Implementation Strategies and Recommendations for Nassau County and Duval County, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

51 Figure 21. Mayport beach placement of entrance channel sediment , 1972...................................... 58 Tables Table 1...Entrance Channel dredged sediment placement history by area. ....................... 20 Table 3. Kings Bay Entrance Channel offshore disposal history at...in northeast Florida is beneficial use of sediments dredged from Federal civil works and military navigation channels for shore protection purposes

Lithology and base of the surficial aquifer system, Palm Beach County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Wesley L.

1987-01-01

The surficial aquifer system is a major source of freshwater in Palm Beach County. In 1982, public supply withdrawals from the aquifer system totaled 33,543 million gallons, 77.5% of total public supply withdrawals. To evaluate the aquifer system and its geologic framework, a cooperative study with Palm Beach County was begun in 1982 by the U.S. Geological Survey. The surficial aquifer system in Palm Beach County is composed primarily of sand, sandstone, shell, silt, calcareous clay (marl), and limestone deposited during the Pleistocene and Pliocene epochs. In the western two-thirds of Palm Beach County, sediments in the aquifer system are poorly consolidated sand, shell, and sandy limestone. Owing to interspersed calcareous clays and silt and very poorly sorted materials, permeabilities in this zone of the aquifer system are relatively low. Two other zones of the aquifer system are found in the eastern one-third of the county where the sediments are appreciably more permeable than in the west due to better sorting and less silt and clay content. The location of more detailed lithologic logs for wells in these sections, along with data from nearby wells, allowed enhanced interpretation and depiction of the lithology which had previously been generalized. The most permeable zone of the aquifer system in this area is characterized by highly developed secondary porosity where infiltrating rainwater and solution by groundwater have removed calcitic-cementing materials from the sediments to produce interconnected cavities. Increased permeability in the aquifer system is generally coincident with the eastern boundary of the overlying organic soils and Lake Flirt Marl. Lithologic logs of wells in Palm Beach County indicate that sediments forming the aquifer system were deposited directly on the erosional surface of the Hawthorn Formation in some areas. In other locations in the county, lithologic logs indicate that the base of the aquifer system was formed by fluvial

Using multiple geochemical tracers to characterize the hydrogeology of the submarine spring off Crescent Beach, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swarzenski, P.W.; Reich, C.D.; Spechler, R.M.; Kindinger, J.L.; Moore, W.S.

2001-01-01

A spectacular submarine spring is located about 4 km east of Crescent Beach, FL, in the Atlantic Ocean. The single vent feature of Crescent Beach Spring provides a unique opportunity to examine onshore-offshore hydrogeologic processes, as well as point source submarine ground water discharge. The Floridan aquifer system in northeastern Florida consists of Tertiary interspersed limestone and dolomite strata. Impermeable beds confine the water-bearing zones under artesian pressure. Miocene and younger confining strata have been eroded away at the vent feature, enabling direct hydrologic communication of Eocene ground water with coastal bottom waters. The spring water had a salinity of 6.02, which was immediately diluted by ambient seawater during advection/mixing. The concentration of major solutes in spring water and onshore well waters confirm a generalized easterly flow direction of artesian ground water. Nutrient concentrations were generally low in the reducing vent samples, and the majority of the total nitrogen species existed as NH3. The submarine ground water tracers, Rn-222 (1174 dpm I-1, dpm), methane (232 nM) and barium (294.5 nM) were all highly enriched in the spring water relative to ambient seawater. The concentrations of the reverse redox elements U, V and Mo were expectedly low in the submarine waters. The strontium isotope ratio of the vent water (87Sr/86Sr = 0.70798) suggests that the spring water contain an integrated signature indicative of Floridan aquifer system ground water. Additional Sr isotopic ratios from a series of surficial and Lower Floridan well samples suggest dynamic ground water mixing, and do not provide clear evidence for a single hydrogeologic water source at the spring vent. In this karst-dominated aquifer, such energetic mixing at the vent feature is expected, and would be facilitated by conduit and fractured flow. Radium isotope activities were utilized to estimate flow-path trajectories and to provide information on

ICI Showcase House Prototype

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2009-02-16

Building Science Corporation collaborated with ICI Homes in Daytona Beach, FL on a 2008 prototype Showcase House that demonstrates the energy efficiency and durability upgrades that ICI currently promotes through its in-house efficiency program called EFactor.

Ground-based lidar beach topography of Fire Island, New York, April 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brenner, Owen T.; Hapke, Cheryl J.; Spore, Nicholas J.; Brodie, Katherine L.; McNinch, Jesse E.

2015-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in Florida and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility in Duck, North Carolina, collaborated to gather alongshore ground-based lidar beach elevation data at Fire Island, New York. This high-resolution elevation dataset was collected on April 10, 2013, to characterize beach topography following substantial erosion that occurred during Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall on October 29, 2012, and multiple, strong winter storms. The ongoing beach monitoring is part of the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Project GS2-2B. This USGS data series includes the resulting processed elevation point data (xyz) and an interpolated digital elevation model (DEM).

Changes in Work Habits of Lifeguards in Relation to Florida Red Tide.

PubMed

Nierenberg, Kate; Kirner, Karen; Hoagland, Porter; Ullmann, Steven; Leblanc, William G; Kirkpatrick, Gary; Fleming, Lora E; Kirkpatrick, Barbara

2010-05-01

The marine dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, is responsible for Florida red tides. Brevetoxins, the neurotoxins produced by K. brevis blooms, can cause fish kills, contaminate shellfish, and lead to respiratory illness in humans. Although several studies have assessed different economic impacts from Florida red tide blooms, no studies to date have considered the impact on beach lifeguard work performance. Sarasota County experiences frequent Florida red tides and staffs lifeguards at its beaches 365 days a year. This study examined lifeguard attendance records during the time periods of March 1 to September 30 in 2004 (no bloom) and March 1 to September 30 in 2005 (bloom). The lifeguard attendance data demonstrated statistically significant absenteeism during a Florida red tide bloom. The potential economic costs resulting from red tide blooms were comprised of both lifeguard absenteeism and presenteeism. Our estimate of the costs of absenteeism due to the 2005 red tide in Sarasota County is about $3,000. On average, the capitalized costs of lifeguard absenteeism in Sarasota County may be on the order of $100,000 at Sarasota County beaches alone. When surveyed, lifeguards reported not only that they experienced adverse health effects of exposure to Florida red tide but also that their attentiveness and abilities to take preventative actions decrease when they worked during a bloom, implying presenteeism effects. The costs of presenteeism, which imply increased risks to beachgoers, arguably could exceed those of absenteeism by an order of magnitude. Due to the lack of data, however, we are unable to provide credible estimates of the costs of presenteeism or the potential increased risks to bathers.

ADVANCES IN PARTICLE SAMPLING AND MEASUREMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The paper, by five authorities who contributed significantly to the second symposium on advances to particle sampling and measurement (October 1979 in Daytona Beach, FL) summarizes salient developments in the field. Current techniques were described as being expensive, complicate...

A Study of the Courses, Programs and Facilities at the Okaloosa-Walton Junior College/University of West Florida Joint Center in Fort Walton Beach. Report and Recommendations of the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission, 1987. Report 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Postsecondary Education Planning Commission, Tallahassee.

In 1987, a task force was convened to determine the need for further expansion of the Okaloosa-Walton Junior College/University of West Florida (OWJC/UWF) Joint Center, and, if warranted, to select a permanent site for the facility. The task force undertook a study involving: (1) collection of demographic data on the Greater Fort Walton Beach area…

Relations between Municipal Water Use and Selected Meteorological Parameters and Drought Indices, East-Central and Northeast Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murray, Louis C.

2009-01-01

Water-use data collected between 1992 and 2006 at eight municipal water-supply utilities in east-central and northeast Florida were analyzed to identify seasonal trends in use and to quantify monthly variations. Regression analyses were applied to identify significant correlations between water use and selected meteorological parameters and drought indices. Selected parameters and indices include precipitation (P), air temperature (T), potential evapotranspiration (PET), available water (P-PET), monthly changes in these parameters (Delta P, Delta T, Delta PET, Delta(P-PET), the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). Selected utilities include the City of Daytona Beach (Daytona), the City of Eustis (Eustis), Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU), Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA), Orange County Utilities (OCU), Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), Seminole County Utilities (SCU), and the City of St. Augustine (St. Augustine). Water-use rates at these utilities in 2006 ranged from about 3.2 million gallons per day at Eustis to about 131 million gallons per day at JEA. Total water-use rates increased at all utilities throughout the 15-year period of record, ranging from about 4 percent at Daytona to greater than 200 percent at OCU and SCU. Metered rates, however, decreased at six of the eight utilities, ranging from about 2 percent at OCU and OUC to about 17 percent at Eustis. Decreases in metered rates occurred because the number of metered connections increased at a greater rate than did total water use, suggesting that factors other than just population growth may play important roles in water-use dynamics. Given the absence of a concurrent trend in precipitation, these decreases can likely be attributed to changes in non-climatic factors such as water-use type, usage of reclaimed water, water-use restrictions, demographics, and so forth. When averaged for the eight utilities, metered water-use rates depict a clear

Reported respiratory symptom intensity in asthmatics during exposure to aerosolized Florida red tide toxins.

PubMed

Milian, Alexyz; Nierenberg, Kate; Fleming, Lora E; Bean, Judy A; Wanner, Adam; Reich, Andrew; Backer, Lorraine C; Jayroe, David; Kirkpatrick, Barbara

2007-09-01

Florida red tides are naturally occurring blooms of the marine dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. K. brevis produces natural toxins called brevetoxins. Brevetoxins become part of the marine aerosol as the fragile, unarmored cells are broken up by wave action. Inhalation of the aerosolized toxin results in upper and lower airway irritation. Symptoms of brevetoxin inhalation include: eye, nose, and throat irritation, coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Asthmatics appear to be more sensitive to the effects of inhaled brevetoxin. This study examined data from 97 asthmatics exposed at the beach for 1 hour during K. brevis blooms, and on separate occasions when no bloom was present. In conjunction with extensive environmental monitoring, participants were evaluated utilizing questionnaires and pulmonary function testing before and after a 1-hour beach walk. A modified Likert scale was incorporated into the questionnaire to create respiratory symptom intensity scores for each individual pre- and post-beach walk. Exposure to Florida red tide significantly increased the reported intensity of respiratory symptoms; no significant changes were seen during an unexposed period. This is the first study to examine the intensity of reported respiratory symptoms in asthmatics after a 1-hour exposure to Florida red tide.

Analysis of the Relationship Between Physical Environmental Parameters and Beach Water Quality in a Subtropical Setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, X.; Wang, J. D.; Elmir, S.; Solo-Gabriele, H. M.; Wright, M. E.; Abdelzaher, A.

2006-12-01

Fecal Indicator Bacteria(FIB) are found in high concentrations in sewage water, and thus are used to indicate whether there is fecal material related pathogen present and to determine whether a beach is safe for recreational use. Studies have shown, however, in subtropical regions, FIB concentrations above EPA standards may be present in the absence of known point sources of human or animal waste, thus reducing the efficacy of FIB beach monitoring programs. An interdisciplinary study is being conducted in Miami, Florida , the goal is to understand the sources and behavior of FIB on a beach without point source loads and also to improve beach health hazard warnings in subtropical regions. This study, examines relationship between enterococci (EPA recommended FIB for use in marine water) and physical environmental parameters such as rain, tide and wind. FIB data employed include Florida Department of Health weekly beach monitoring enterococci (ENT) data during a five year period and a two-day experiment with hourly sampling at Hobie Cat Beach on Virginia Key in the Miami metropolitan area. The environmental data consist of wind from a nearby CMAN tower, and local rain and tide. The analysis also includes data from nearby beaches monitored by the Health Department. Results show the correlation coefficient between ENT and tide at Hobie Cat Beach is positive but not significant(r=0.17). Rain events have a significant influence on ENT at Hobie Cat Beach, with a correlation coefficient of up to 0.7 while at other beaches the correlation is less than 0.2. Reasons for this aberration are being investigated. Although this is the only beach allowing dogs there are other factors of possible importance, such as tidal flats frequented by birds and weaker water circulation and exchange at this beach facing a bay rather than the ocean. Higher ENT levels (> 300CFU/100ml water) are more likely (67% of the time) to be associated with periods of onshore winds, which may affect the

75 FR 11580 - Florida Power Corporation, City of Alachua, City of Bushnell, City of Gainesville, City of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-11

...- 0096] Florida Power Corporation, City of Alachua, City of Bushnell, City of Gainesville, City of Kissimmee, City of Leesburg, City of New Smyrna Beach and Utilities Commission, City of New Smyrna Beach, City of Ocala, Orlando Utilities Commission and City of Orlando, Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc...

Illness associated with red tide--Nassau County, Florida, 2007.

PubMed

2008-07-04

A "red tide" is a harmful algal bloom that occurs when toxic, microscopic algae in seawater proliferate to a higher-than-normal concentration (i.e., bloom), often discoloring the water red, brown, green, or yellow. Red tides can kill fish, birds, and marine mammals and cause illness in humans. Florida red tide is caused by the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, which produces toxins called brevetoxins and is most commonly found in the Gulf of Mexico; however, K. brevis blooms also can occur along the Atlantic coast. On September 25, 2007, a cluster of respiratory illnesses was reported to the Nassau County Health Department (NCHD) in northeastern Florida. All of the ill persons were employed at a beach restoration worksite by a dredging company operating at Fernandina Beach; they reported symptoms of eye or respiratory irritation (e.g., coughing, sneezing, sniffling, and throat irritation). NCHD and the Florida Department of Health promptly conducted epidemiologic and environmental investigations and determined the illnesses likely were associated with exposure to a red tide along the Atlantic coast. These actions highlight the importance of rapid investigation of health concerns with potential environmental causes to enable timely notification of the public and prevent further illness.

ANNUAL VOLUME OF PROCEEDINGS, ADDRESSES, AND RESEARCH PAPERS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING AND EDUCATIONAL EXHIBIT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA (53D, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, OCTOBER 14-19, 1967).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

FOSTER, CHARLES W.

A VERBATIM REPORTING OF PRESENTATIONS MADE AT THE 53D ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, HELD IN MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, OCTOBER 14-19, 1967, INCLUDES THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE HONORABLE BARRY G. LOWES, CHAIRMAN OF THE METROPOLITAN TORONTO BOARD OF EDUCATION, ON PURPOSES, PROBLEMS, AND…

Sunglint in Florida Bay taken by the Expedition Two crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-04-13

ISS002-E-5466 (13 April 2001) --- From the International Space Station (ISS), an Expedition Two crew member photographed southern Florida, including Dade County with Miami and Miami Beach; Everglades National Park; Big Cypress National Reserve; and the Florida Keys and many other recognizable areas. The crew member, using a digital still camera on this same pass, also recorded imagery of the Lake Okeechobee area, just north of the area represented in this frame.

Pegasus XL CYGNSS First Launch Attempt

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-12

Photographed from the F-18 pathfinder aircraft, the Orbital ATK L-1011 Stargazer aircraft is seen flying over the Atlantic Ocean offshore from Daytona Beach, Florida. Attached beneath the aircraft is the Pegasus XL rocket with eight Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, spacecraft. The CYGNSS satellites will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a crucial role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes. NOTE: The Dec. 12, 2016 launch attempt was postponed due to a hydraulic pump aboard the Orbital ATK L-1011 aircraft which is required to release the latches holding Pegasus in place, is not receiving power.

Confirmation of putative stormwater impact on water quality at a Florida beach by microbial source tracking methods and structure of indicator organism populations.

PubMed

Brownell, M J; Harwood, V J; Kurz, R C; McQuaig, S M; Lukasik, J; Scott, T M

2007-08-01

The effect of a stormwater conveyance system on indicator bacteria levels at a Florida beach was assessed using microbial source tracking methods, and by investigating indicator bacteria population structure in water and sediments. During a rain event, regulatory standards for both fecal coliforms and Enterococcus spp. were exceeded, contrasting with significantly lower levels under dry conditions. Indicator bacteria levels were high in sediments under all conditions. The involvement of human sewage in the contamination was investigated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for the esp gene of Enterococcus faecium and for the conserved T antigen of human polyomaviruses, all of which were negative. BOX-PCR subtyping of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus showed higher population diversity during the rain event; and higher population similarity during dry conditions, suggesting that without fresh inputs, only a subset of the population survives the selective pressure of the secondary habitat. These data indicate that high indicator bacteria levels were attributable to a stormwater system that acted as a reservoir and conduit, flushing high levels of indicator bacteria to the beach during a rain event. Such environmental reservoirs of indicator bacteria further complicate the already questionable relationship between indicator organisms and human pathogens, and call for a better understanding of the ecology, fate and persistence of indicator bacteria.

Post-storm beach and dune recovery: Implications for barrier island resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houser, Chris; Wernette, Phil; Rentschlar, Elizabeth; Jones, Hannah; Hammond, Brianna; Trimble, Sarah

2015-04-01

The ability of beaches and dunes to recover following an extreme storm is a primary control of barrier island response to sea-level rise and changes in the frequency and/or magnitude of storm surges. Whereas erosion of the beach and dune occurs over hours and days, it can be years to decades before the beach and dune are able to recover to their pre-storm state. As a consequence, there are numerous descriptions of near-instantaneous beach and dune erosion due to storms, the immediate onshore transport of sand, and the initial phases of beach and dune recovery following a storm, but a paucity of data on long-term beach and dune recovery. A combination of previously published data from Galveston Island, Texas and new remotely sensed data from Santa Rosa Island, Florida is used in the present study to quantify the rate of dune recovery for dissipative and intermediate beach types, respectively. Recovery of the dune height and volume on Galveston Island was observed within two years following Hurricane Alicia (1983) and was largely complete within six years of the storm, despite extensive washover. In contrast, the dunes on Santa Rosa Island in Northwest Florida began to recover four years after Hurricane Ivan (2004), and only after the profile approached its pre-storm level and the rate of vegetation recovery (regrowth) was at a maximum. Results show that complete recovery of the largest dunes (in height and volume) will take approximately 10 years on Santa Rosa Island, which suggests that these sections of the island are particularly vulnerable to significant change in island morphology if there is also a change in the frequency and magnitude of storm events. In contrast, the areas of the island with the smallest dunes before Hurricane Ivan exhibited a rapid recovery, but no further growth in profile volume and dune height beyond the pre-storm volume and height, despite continued recovery of the largest dunes to their pre-storm height. A change in storm magnitude and

Florida snapping turtle

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-10-22

A rare photo of a Florida snapping turtle out in the open on Beach Road, near NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Found only in Florida and Georgia, this species is related to the common snapping turtle. It is considered a dangerous turtle because it can snap very quickly with its extremely strong jaws. Its tail, which is almost as long as its shell, has saw-edges along the top. The shell also has rough points down the middle. The shell is tan to dark brown and may have green algae growing on it. It can grow to 17 inches long and weigh 45 pounds. Snapping turtles usually live in ponds under the shadows and don’t like to rest in the sun like most turtles. They eat almost anything: water bugs, fish, lizards, small birds, mice, plants and even dead animals.

Florida snapping turtle

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-10-22

A rare photo of a Florida snapping turtle out in the open on Beach Road, near NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Found only in Florida and Georgia, this species is related to the common snapping turtle. It is considered a dangerous turtle because it can snap very quickly with its extremely strong jaws. Its tail, which is almost as long as its shell, has saw-edges along the top. The shell also has rough points down the middle. The shell is tan to dark brown and may have green algae growing on it. It can grow to 17 inches long and weigh 45 pounds. Snapping turtles usually live in ponds under the shadows and don’t like to rest in the sun like most turtles. They eat almost anything: water bugs, fish, lizards, small birds, mice, plants and even dead animals

Intensified coastal development in beach-nourishment zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazarus, E.; Armstrong, S.; Limber, P. W.; Goldstein, E. B.; Ballinger, R.

2016-12-01

Population density, housing development, and property values in coastal counties along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts continue to rise despite increasing hazard from storm impacts. Beach nourishment, a method for mitigating coastal storm damage or chronic erosion by deliberately replacing sand on an eroded beach, has been the leading form of coastal protection in the U.S. since the 1970s. However, investment in hazard protection can have the unintended consequence of encouraging development in places especially vulnerable to damage. To quantitatively compare development in nourishing and non-nourishing zones, we examine the parcel-scale housing stock of all shorefront single-family homes in the state of Florida. We find that houses in nourishing zones are significantly larger and more numerous than in non-nourishing zones. Florida represents both an advanced case of coastal risk and an exemplar of ubiquitous, fundamental challenges in coastal management. The predominance of larger homes in nourishing zones indicates a positive feedback between nourishment and development that is compounding coastal risk in zones already characterized by high vulnerability. We offer that this phenomenon represents a variant of Jevons' paradox, a theoretical argument from environmental economics in which more efficient use of a resource spurs an increase in its consumption. Here, we suggest reductions in coastal risk through hazard protection are ultimately offset or reversed by increased coastal development.

Hydraulics and geology related to beach restoration in Lee County, Florida. [Captiva Island

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winton, T. (Principal Investigator); Brooks, H. K.; Degner, J.; Ruth, B.

1981-01-01

The erosion problem on Captiva Island is discussed. It is due to a deficit in the sand budget of the littoral drift system; a system with losses due to attrition of the particles and mass losses into the lagoons, to offshore, and to lateral transport. The effect that reopening Blind Pass would have, and the placement of sediment retaining structures in the surf zone at the northern and southern limits of the Captiva beach system, wave examined. A geological approach was used to study the origin and dynamic changes that have occurred. Through hydraulic modeling, changes that will occur by reopening and stabilizing Blind Pass are predicted. It is concluded that if the island is to be stabilized, beach nourishment with proper amounts and particle size is a necessity and that jetties adequate to restrict lateral and offshore losses are essential. It is shown that the reopening of Blind Pass would have minimal effects on the passes to the north and south, and would improve the environmental conditions in the sound with no adverse effects on the beach system.

HIGH-ANGLE AEOLIAN CROSSBEDDING AT TRAIL RIDGE, FLORIDA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Force, Eric; Garnar, Tom

1985-01-01

This paper described new evidence concerning the origin of the Trail Ridge mineral sands deposit in Florida. Rarely exposed sections of the orebody exhibit structures indicative of sand dune formation rather than coastal beach sand accumulation. The implications for mineral sands exploration, and therefore resources, in the southeastern USA are highlighted.

Reported Respiratory Symptom Intensity in Asthmatics During Exposure to Aerosolized Florida Red Tide Toxins

PubMed Central

Milian, Alexyz; Nierenberg, Kate; Fleming, Lora E.; Bean, Judy A.; Wanner, Adam; Reich, Andrew; Backer, Lorraine C.; Jayroe, David; Kirkpatrick, Barbara

2010-01-01

Florida red tides are naturally occurring blooms of the marine dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. K. brevis produces natural toxins called brevetoxins. Brevetoxins become part of the marine aerosol as the fragile, unarmored cells are broken up by wave action. Inhalation of the aerosolized toxin results in upper and lower airway irritation. Symptoms of brevetoxin inhalation include: eye, nose, and throat irritation, coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Asthmatics appear to be more sensitive to the effects of inhaled brevetoxin. This study examined data from 97 asthmatics exposed at the beach for 1 hour during K. brevis blooms, and on separate occasions when no bloom was present. In conjunction with extensive environmental monitoring, participants were evaluated utilizing questionnaires and pulmonary function testing before and after a 1-hour beach walk. A modified Likert scale was incorporated into the questionnaire to create respiratory symptom intensity scores for each individual pre- and post-beach walk. Exposure to Florida red tide significantly increased the reported intensity of respiratory symptoms; no significant changes were seen during an unexposed period. This is the first study to examine the intensity of reported respiratory symptoms in asthmatics after a 1-hour exposure to Florida red tide. PMID:17885863

Regional Similarities and Consistent Patterns of Local Variation in Beach Sand Bacterial Communities throughout the Northern Hemisphere

PubMed Central

Staley, Christopher

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Recent characterization of the bacterial community structure in beach sands has revealed patterns of biogeography similar to those observed in aquatic environments. Studies to date, however, have mainly focused on subtidal sediments from marine beaches. Here, we investigate the bacterial diversity, using Illumina-based sequencing of the V5-V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene, at 11 beaches representing those next to the Great Lakes, Florida, and the Pacific Ocean. The alpha diversity differed significantly among regions (P < 0.0001), while the within-region diversity was more similar. The beta diversity also differed by region (P < 0.001), where freshwater sands had significantly higher abundances of taxa within the Actinobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia than marine environments. In contrast, marine sands harbored greater abundances of Gammaproteobacteria and Planctomycetes, and those from Florida had more Deltaproteobacteria and Firmicutes. Marine beaches had significantly different phylogenetic community structures (P ≤ 0.018), but freshwater and Florida beaches showed fewer within-region phylogenetic differences. Furthermore, regionally distinct patterns in taxonomic variation were observed in backshore sands, which had communities distinct from those in nearshore sands (P < 0.001). Sample depth minimally influenced the community composition. The results of this study reveal distinct bacterial community structures in sand on a broad geographic scale but moderate regional similarity and suggest that local variation is primarily related to the distance from the shoreline. This study offers a novel comparison of the bacterial communities in freshwater and marine beach sands and provides an important basis for future comparisons and analyses to elucidate factors affecting microbial ecology in this underexplored environment. IMPORTANCE This study presents a large-scale geographic characterization of the bacterial communities present in beach

Genetic structure of Florida green turtle rookeries as indicated by mitochondrial DNA control region sequences

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shamblin, Brian M.; Bagley, Dean A.; Ehrhart, Llewellyn M.; Desjardin, Nicole A.; Martin, R. Erik; Hart, Kristen M.; Naro-Maciel, Eugenia; Rusenko, Kirt; Stiner, John C.; Sobel, Debra; Johnson, Chris; Wilmers, Thomas; Wright, Laura J.; Nairn, Campbell J.

2014-01-01

Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting has increased dramatically in Florida over the past two decades, ranking the Florida nesting aggregation among the largest in the Greater Caribbean region. Individual beaches that comprise several hundred kilometers of Florida’s east coast and Keys support tens to thousands of nests annually. These beaches encompass natural to highly developed habitats, and the degree of demographic partitioning among rookeries was previously unresolved. We characterized the genetic structure of ten Florida rookeries from Cape Canaveral to the Dry Tortugas through analysis of 817 base pair mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences from 485 nesting turtles. Two common haplotypes, CM-A1.1 and CM-A3.1, accounted for 87 % of samples, and the haplotype frequencies were strongly partitioned by latitude along Florida’s Atlantic coast. Most genetic structure occurred between rookeries on either side of an apparent genetic break in the vicinity of the St. Lucie Inlet that separates Hutchinson Island and Jupiter Island, representing the finest scale at which mtDNA structure has been documented in marine turtle rookeries. Florida and Caribbean scale analyses of population structure support recognition of at least two management units: central eastern Florida and southern Florida. More thorough sampling and deeper sequencing are necessary to better characterize connectivity among Florida green turtle rookeries as well as between the Florida nesting aggregation and others in the Greater Caribbean region.

Effect of Beach Nourishment and Borrowing on Marine Organisms.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

turbellarians (flat- wormsN, nematode (roundworms), gastrotrichs, and harpacticoid copepods (crustacean6). The vertical distribution of many of these organisms in...were washed inshore increasing species diversity along the beach. Simon and Dauer (1977) studied faunal damage caused by red tide at Tampa Bay, Florida...and Ecology, Vol. 46, 1980, pp. 59-71. 56. SIMON, J.L., and DAUER , D.M., "Reestablishment of a Benthic Community Following Natural Defaunation

The UF GEM Research Center Mobile Terrestrial Laser Scanner System M-TLSS Applied to Beach Morphology Studies in St. Augustine, Florida.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez, J. C.; Shrestha, R. L.; Carter, W. E.; Slatton, C. K.; Singhania, A.

2006-12-01

The UF GEM Research Center is working towards developing a Mobile Terrestrial Laser Scanning System (M- TLSS). The core of the M-TLSS is a commercial 2-axis ground based laser scanner, Optech ILRIS-36D, which is capable of generating XYZ with laser intensity or RGB textured point clouds in a range from 3m to 1500m. The laser operates at a wavelength of 1535 nm. The sample separation can be adjusted down to 0.00115°, and the scanning speed is 2,000 points per second. The scanner is integrated to a mobile telescoping, rotating and tilting platform which is essentially a telescopic lift mounted on the back of a pick up truck. This provides up to 6 degrees of freedom for performing scanning operations. A scanner built-in 6 megapixel digital camera and a digital video camera provide the M-TLSS moving and still imagining capability. The applications of the M-TLSS data sets are numerous in both the fields of science and engineering. This paper will focus on the application of M-TLSS as a complement to ALSM in the study of beach morphology in the St. Augustine, Florida area. ALSM data covers a long stretch of beach with a moderate sample density of approximately 1 laser return per square meter, which enables the detection of submeter-scale changes in shoreline position and dune heights over periods of few months. The M-TLSS, on the other hand, can provide high density point clouds (centimeter scale point spacing) of smaller areas known to be highly prone to erosion. From these point clouds centimeter level surface grids are created. These grids will be compared with the ALSM data and with a time series of M-TLSS data over the same area to provide high resolution, short term beach erosion monitoring. Surface morphological parameters that will be compared among the ALSM and M-TLSS data sets include shoreline position and gradients and standard deviations of elevations on cross- shore transects.

Kennedy Space Center and the Florida Atlantic coast area

NASA Image and Video Library

1974-02-01

SL4-93-167 (February 1974) --- A vertical view of the Kennedy Space Center and the Florida Atlantic coast area is seen in this Skylab 4 Earth Resources Experiments Package S190-B (five-inch earth terrain camera) infrared photography taken from the Skylab space station in Earth orbit. This photograph shows the major land-ocean features of the Florida coast near Vero Beach northward to Cape Canaveral and the KSC complex. The launch pads for the Skylab missions are clearly visible. Identification of living vegetation is possible through the use of the color infrared film. Various shades of red portray differences in the vegetation such as shown in the patterns in the agricultural area near Vero Beach. In the Kennedy Space Center, the nearly continuous and uniform red color shows that most of the land areas are heavily vegetated. The white coastal beach areas are strongly contrasted to the red land and the blue Atlantic Ocean. Old dunal areas in KSC are visible on Merritt Island which is separated from the Launch areas by the Banana River and the mainland by the Indian River. Federal and state highways and numerous causeways over the rivers are easily identified. The Florida mainland is partly shadowed by small white clouds which cast a pronounced shadow to the east of each cloud indicated the Sun is west of solar noon. Federal agencies participating with NASA on the EREP project are the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Core of Engineers. All EREP photography is available to the public through the Department of Interior's Earth Resources Observations Systems Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57198. Photo credit: NASA

Center for Small Business Annual Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fine, Evelyn; And Others

This annual report highlights the activities and accomplishments of Daytona Beach Community College's Center for Small Business (CSB), which offers on an ongoing basis counseling sessions, seminars, workshops, and a resource library for local businesses. Following introductory material which describes the CSB advisory board and summarizes recent…

Indications of a positive feedback between coastal development and beach nourishment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Armstrong, Scott; Lazarus, Eli; Limber, Patrick W.; Goldstein, Evan; Thorpe, Curtis; Ballinger, Rhoda

2016-01-01

Beach nourishment, a method for mitigating coastal storm damage or chronic erosion by deliberately replacing sand on an eroded beach, has been the leading form of coastal protection in the U.S. for four decades. However, investment in hazard protection can have the unintended consequence of encouraging development in places especially vulnerable to damage. In a comprehensive, parcel-scale analysis of all shorefront single-family homes in the state of Florida, we find that houses in nourishing zones are significantly larger and more numerous than in non-nourishing zones. The predominance of larger homes in nourishing zones suggests a positive feedback between nourishment and development that is compounding coastal risk in zones already characterized by high vulnerability.

Indications of a positive feedback between coastal development and beach nourishment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, Scott B.; Lazarus, Eli D.; Limber, Patrick W.; Goldstein, Evan B.; Thorpe, Curtis; Ballinger, Rhoda C.

2016-12-01

Beach nourishment, a method for mitigating coastal storm damage or chronic erosion by deliberately replacing sand on an eroded beach, has been the leading form of coastal protection in the United States for four decades. However, investment in hazard protection can have the unintended consequence of encouraging development in places especially vulnerable to damage. In a comprehensive, parcel-scale analysis of all shorefront single-family homes in the state of Florida, we find that houses in nourishing zones are significantly larger and more numerous than in non-nourishing zones. The predominance of larger homes in nourishing zones suggests a positive feedback between nourishment and development that is compounding coastal risk in zones already characterized by high vulnerability.

FM Radio; An Oral Communication Project for Migrants in Palm Beach County.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Early, L. F.

This report gives a full description of the broadcasting and operation of WHRS-FM, a FM radio station established by federal grant to serve migrant workers and their children in Palm Beach County, Florida. The goal of the project was to evaluate FM radio as a solution to the serious economic and educational problem of communicating with the…

Predaceous ants, beach replenishment, and nest placement by sea turtles.

PubMed

Wetterer, James K; Wood, Lawrence D; Johnson, Chris; Krahe, Holly; Fitchett, Stephanie

2007-10-01

Ants known for attacking and killing hatchling birds and reptiles include the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren), tropical fire ant [Solenopsis geminata (Fabr.)], and little fire ant [Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger)]. We tested whether sea turtle nest placement influenced exposure to predaceous ants. In 2000 and 2001, we surveyed ants along a Florida beach where green turtles (Chelonia mydas L.), leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea Vandelli), and loggerheads (Caretta caretta L.) nest. Part of the beach was artificially replenished between our two surveys. As a result, mean beach width experienced by nesting turtles differed greatly between the two nesting seasons. We surveyed 1,548 sea turtle nests (2000: 909 nests; 2001: 639 nests) and found 22 ant species. S. invicta was by far the most common species (on 431 nests); S. geminata and W. auropunctata were uncommon (on 3 and 16 nests, respectively). In 2000, 62.5% of nests had ants present (35.9% with S. invicta), but in 2001, only 30.5% of the nests had ants present (16.4% with S. invicta). Turtle nests closer to dune vegetation had significantly greater exposure to ants. Differences in ant presence on turtle nests between years and among turtle species were closely related to differences in nest placement relative to dune vegetation. Beach replenishment significantly lowered exposure of nests to ants because on the wider beaches turtles nested farther from the dune vegetation. Selective pressures on nesting sea turtles are altered both by the presence of predaceous ants and the practice of beach replenishment.

Zika Virus MB16-23 in Mosquitoes, Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA, 2016.

PubMed

Mutebi, John-Paul; Hughes, Holly R; Burkhalter, Kristen L; Kothera, Linda; Vasquez, Chalmers; Kenney, Joan L

2018-04-17

We isolated a strain of Zika virus, MB16-23, from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes collected in Miami Beach, Florida, USA, on September 2, 2016. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that MB16-23 most likely originated from the Caribbean region.

Improving School Readiness: A Brief Report from the Palm Beach County Family Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spielberger, Julie; Gouvea, Marcia; Rich, Lauren

2012-01-01

For more than a decade, Florida's Palm Beach County has been building a system of prevention and early intervention services to promote and support the healthy development and school readiness of children from birth to age 8. The county began this effort with a set of programs focused on serving families in four targeted geographic areas that have…

Supporting Low-Income Parents of Young Children: The Palm Beach County Family Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spielberger, Julie; Rich, Lauren; Gouvea, Marcia; Winje, Carolyn; Scannell, Molly; Harden, Allen; Berg, Kristin

2009-01-01

For more than a decade, Florida's Palm Beach County has been building an infrastructure of prevention and early intervention services to promote and support the healthy development and school readiness of children from birth to age 8. The county began this effort with a set of programs focused on serving families in four targeted geographic areas…

76 FR 65378 - Safety Zone; The Florida Orchestra Pops in the Park Fireworks Display, Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-21

...-AA00 Safety Zone; The Florida Orchestra Pops in the Park Fireworks Display, Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg... temporary safety zone on the waters of Tampa Bay in the vicinity of Spa Beach in St. Petersburg, Florida..., anchoring in, or remaining within the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port St...

Florida Red Tide Perception: Residents versus Tourists

PubMed Central

Nierenberg, Kate; Byrne, Margaret; Fleming, Lora E.; Stephan, Wendy; Reich, Andrew; Backer, Lorraine C.; Tanga, Elvira; Dalpra, Dana R.; Kirkpatrick, Barbara

2010-01-01

The west coast of Florida has annual blooms of the toxin-producing dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis with Sarasota, FL considered the epicenter for these blooms. Numerous outreach materials, including Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) cards, exhibits for local museums and aquaria, public beach signs, and numerous websites have been developed to disseminate information to the public about this natural hazard. In addition, during intense onshore blooms, a great deal of media attention, primarily via newspaper (print and web) and television, is focused on red tide. However to date, the only measure of effectiveness of these outreach methods has been counts of the number of people exposed to the information, e.g., visits to a website or number of FAQ cards distributed. No formal assessment has been conducted to determine if these materials meet their goal of informing the public about Florida red tide. Also, although local residents have the opinion that they are very knowledgeable about Florida red tide, this has not been verified empirically. This study addressed these issues by creating and administering an evaluation tool for the assessment of public knowledge about Florida red tide. A focus group of Florida red tide outreach developers assisted in the creation of the evaluation tool. The location of the evaluation was the west coast of Florida, in Sarasota County. The objective was to assess the knowledge of the general public about Florida red tide. This assessment identified gaps in public knowledge regarding Florida red tides and also identified what information sources people want to use to obtain information on Florida red tide. The results from this study can be used to develop more effective outreach materials on Florida red tide. PMID:20824108

Florida Red Tide Perception: Residents versus Tourists.

PubMed

Nierenberg, Kate; Byrne, Margaret; Fleming, Lora E; Stephan, Wendy; Reich, Andrew; Backer, Lorraine C; Tanga, Elvira; Dalpra, Dana R; Kirkpatrick, Barbara

2010-09-01

The west coast of Florida has annual blooms of the toxin-producing dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis with Sarasota, FL considered the epicenter for these blooms. Numerous outreach materials, including Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) cards, exhibits for local museums and aquaria, public beach signs, and numerous websites have been developed to disseminate information to the public about this natural hazard. In addition, during intense onshore blooms, a great deal of media attention, primarily via newspaper (print and web) and television, is focused on red tide. However to date, the only measure of effectiveness of these outreach methods has been counts of the number of people exposed to the information, e.g., visits to a website or number of FAQ cards distributed. No formal assessment has been conducted to determine if these materials meet their goal of informing the public about Florida red tide. Also, although local residents have the opinion that they are very knowledgeable about Florida red tide, this has not been verified empirically. This study addressed these issues by creating and administering an evaluation tool for the assessment of public knowledge about Florida red tide. A focus group of Florida red tide outreach developers assisted in the creation of the evaluation tool. The location of the evaluation was the west coast of Florida, in Sarasota County. The objective was to assess the knowledge of the general public about Florida red tide. This assessment identified gaps in public knowledge regarding Florida red tides and also identified what information sources people want to use to obtain information on Florida red tide. The results from this study can be used to develop more effective outreach materials on Florida red tide.

Citizen Science: Dune Restoration with Sea Oats by Junior Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, S.

2016-12-01

As a crucial part of the dune ecosystem, Sea Oats are a protected species in Florida. They provide excellent habitat for small birds and mammals and prevent dune erosion with their fibrous roots.Citizen science is a research and education tool that involves everyday people in real and meaningful forms of science. My volunteer group, Junior friends of Macarthur Beach State Park, used citizen science to restore dunes by growing and planting Sea Oats. Junior friends is a group of 6-12th grade students whose purpose is to support the park through monthly activities and special events. Junior Friends asked,what is the best way to germinate/grow/and plant Sea Oats to renourish the beach dune. Specifically, what planting medium is most conducive for maximizing growth of Sea Oats? We tested three scenarios: 100% potting soil, 100% sand from the beach, 50% sand-50% potting soil mixture.Using harvested Sea Oat seeds from Macarthur Beach State Park, we separated the seeds from their casings, known as spiklets. We then monitored the plant's weekly over the course of 14 weeks and charted their growth. All the seeds had similar growth rates, but the seeds that grew in 100% potting soil consistently grew the tallest. The second tallest Sea Oats were 100% sand; the 50% sand-50% potting soil mixture produced the least amount of growth. When seedlings reached their desired growth of 6-8 inches and established a root ball, we planted the Sea Oats on the dune for restoration. After planting them,we monitored the growth of the Sea Oats on the MacArthur Beach dune throughout the rest of the year, charting the height of the planted Sea Oats. Using Citizen science we had meaningful data that helped us have a better understanding of restoring Sea Oats on Florida dunes and will help further future restorations.

Public perceptions of Florida red tide risks.

PubMed

Kuhar, Sara E; Nierenberg, Kate; Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Tobin, Graham A

2009-07-01

This research integrates theoretical frameworks of risk perception, social amplification of risk, and the role of place-specific contexts in order to explore the various perceptions surrounding Florida red tides. Florida red tides are naturally occurring events that are increasing in frequency, duration, and severity. This has implications for public health, the local economy, and ecosystem health. While many of the negative impacts of Florida red tides are not easily controlled, some of the secondary impacts may be mitigated through individuals' responses. However, public perception and consequent reactions to Florida red tides have not been investigated. This research uses questionnaire surveys, and semi-structured interviews, to explore the various perceptions of the risk surrounding red tides. Surveys and interviews were conducted along two Florida west coast beaches. The results indicate that the underlying foundations of the social amplification of the risk framework are applicable to understanding how individuals form perceptions of risk relative to red tide events. There are key differences between the spatial locations of individuals and corresponding perceptions, indicating that place-specific contexts are essential to understanding how individuals receive and interpret risk information. The results also suggest that individuals may be lacking efficient and up-to-date information about Florida red tides and their impacts because of inconsistent public outreach. Overall, social and spatial factors appear to be influential as to whether individuals amplify or attenuate the risks associated with Florida red tides.

Public Perceptions of Florida Red Tide Risks

PubMed Central

Kuhar, Sara E.; Nierenberg, Kate; Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Tobin, Graham A.

2009-01-01

This research integrates theoretical frameworks of risk perception, social amplification of risk, and the role of place-specific contexts in order to explore the various perceptions surrounding Florida red tides. Florida red tides are naturally occurring events that are increasing in frequency, duration, and severity. This has implications for public health, the local economy, and ecosystem health. While many of the negative impacts of Florida red tides are not easily controlled, some of the secondary impacts may be mitigated through individuals’ responses. However, public perception and consequent reactions to Florida red tides have not been investigated. This research uses questionnaire surveys, and semi-structured interviews, to explore the various perceptions of the risk surrounding red tides. Surveys and interviews were conducted along two Florida west coast beaches. The results indicate that the underlying foundations of the social amplification of the risk framework are applicable to understanding how individuals form perceptions of risk relative to red tide events. There are key differences between the spatial locations of individuals and corresponding perceptions, indicating that place-specific contexts are essential to understanding how individuals receive and interpret risk information. The results also suggest that individuals may be lacking efficient and up-to-date information about Florida red tides and their impacts because of inconsistent public outreach. Overall, social and spatial factors appear to be influential as to whether individuals amplify or attenuate the risks associated with Florida red tides. PMID:19392675

Characterization of Florida red tide aerosol and the temporal profile of aerosol concentration.

PubMed

Cheng, Yung Sung; Zhou, Yue; Pierce, Richard H; Henry, Mike; Baden, Daniel G

2010-05-01

Red tide aerosols containing aerosolized brevetoxins are produced during the red tide bloom and transported by wind to coastal areas of Florida. This study reports the characterization of Florida red tide aerosols in human volunteer studies, in which an asthma cohort spent 1h on Siesta Beach (Sarasota, Florida) during aerosolized red tide events and non-exposure periods. Aerosol concentrations, brevetoxin levels, and particle size distribution were measured. Hourly filter samples were taken and analyzed for brevetoxin and NaCl concentrations. In addition, the aerosol mass concentration was monitored in real time. The results indicated that during a non-exposure period in October 2004, no brevetoxin was detected in the water, resulting in non-detectable levels of brevetoxin in the aerosol. In March 2005, the time-averaged concentrations of brevetoxins in water samples were moderate, in the range of 5-10 microg/L, and the corresponding brevetoxin level of Florida red tide aerosol ranged between 21 and 39 ng/m(3). The temporal profiles of red tide aerosol concentration in terms of mass, NaCl, and brevetoxin were in good agreement, indicating that NaCl and brevetoxins are components of the red tide aerosol. By continuously monitoring the marine aerosol and wind direction at Siesta Beach, we observed that the marine aerosol concentration varied as the wind direction changed. The temporal profile of the Florida red tide aerosol during a sampling period could be explained generally with the variation of wind direction. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water withdrawals, use, discharge, and trends in Florida, 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marella, R.L.

1999-01-01

In 1995, the total amount of water withdrawn in Florida was nearly 18,200 million gallons per day (Mgal/d), of which 60 percent was saline and 40 percent was freshwater. Ground water accounted for 60 percent of freshwater withdrawals and surface water accounted for the remaining 40 percent. Ninety-three percent of the 14.15 million people in Florida relied on ground water for their drinking water needs in 1995. Almost all (99.9 percent) saline water withdrawals were from surface water. Public supply accounted for 43 percent of ground water withdrawn in 1995, followed by agricultural self-supplied (35 percent), commercial-industrial self-supplied (including mining) (10 percent), domestic self-supplied (7 percent), recreational irrigation (4.5 percent), and power generation (0.5 percent). Agricultural self-supplied accounted for 60 percent of fresh surface water withdrawn in 1995, followed by power generation (21 percent), commercial-industrial self-supplied (9 percent), public supply (7 percent), and recreational irrigation (3 percent). Almost all of saline water withdrawn was used for power generation. The largest amount of freshwater was withdrawn in Palm Beach County and the largest amount of saline water was withdrawn in Hillsborough County. Significant withdrawals (more than 200 Mgal/d) of fresh ground water occurred in Dade, Broward, Polk, Orange, and Palm Beach Counties. Significant withdrawals (more than 200 Mgal/d) of fresh surface water occurred in Palm Beach, Hendry, and St. Lucie Counties. The South Florida Water Management District accounted for the largest amount of freshwater withdrawn (nearly 50 percent). About 57 percent of the total ground water withdrawn was from the Floridan aquifer system; 20 percent was from the Biscayne aquifer. Most of the surface water used in Florida was from managed and maintained canal systems or large water bodies. Major sources of fresh surface water include the Caloosahatchee River, Deer Point Lake, Hillsborough River

Indicator microbes correlate with pathogenic bacteria, yeasts and helminthes in sand at a subtropical recreational beach site.

PubMed

Shah, A H; Abdelzaher, A M; Phillips, M; Hernandez, R; Solo-Gabriele, H M; Kish, J; Scorzetti, G; Fell, J W; Diaz, M R; Scott, T M; Lukasik, J; Harwood, V J; McQuaig, S; Sinigalliano, C D; Gidley, M L; Wanless, D; Ager, A; Lui, J; Stewart, J R; Plano, L R W; Fleming, L E

2011-06-01

Research into the relationship between pathogens, faecal indicator microbes and environmental factors in beach sand has been limited, yet vital to the understanding of the microbial relationship between sand and the water column and to the improvement of criteria for better human health protection at beaches. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the presence and distribution of pathogens in various zones of beach sand (subtidal, intertidal and supratidal) and to assess their relationship with environmental parameters and indicator microbes at a non-point source subtropical marine beach. In this exploratory study in subtropical Miami (Florida, USA), beach sand samples were collected and analysed over the course of 6 days for several pathogens, microbial source tracking markers and indicator microbes. An inverse correlation between moisture content and most indicator microbes was found. Significant associations were identified between some indicator microbes and pathogens (such as nematode larvae and yeasts in the genus Candida), which are from classes of microbes that are rarely evaluated in the context of recreational beach use. Results indicate that indicator microbes may predict the presence of some of the pathogens, in particular helminthes, yeasts and the bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus including methicillin-resistant forms. Indicator microbes may thus be useful for monitoring beach sand and water quality at non-point source beaches. The presence of both indicator microbes and pathogens in beach sand provides one possible explanation for human health effects reported at non-point sources beaches. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2011 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

A PIECE OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER WASHED ASHORE AT COCOA BEACH

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

A Cocoa Beach front-end loader holds a large piece of debris from the Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger after it washed ashore in Cocoa Beach near the Coconuts on the Beach restaurant and bar. Overseeing the recovery and protection of the piece is KSC criminal investigator Jan Seinkner, facing camera at center, of EG&G Florida Inc., base operations contractor. The piece, about 15 feet by 6 feet, is believed to be part of an elevon or rudder. It is one of the biggest pieces to wash ashore to date. A smaller piece was found several blocks south. NASA recovered thousands of pounds of debris from the Atlantic Ocean after the Jan. 28, 1986 accident which destroyed the Shuttle and claimed the lives of the seven crew members; about 50 percent of the orbiter remained in the ocean after search operations were suspended. Those remains are stored at Cape Canaveral Air Station, mostly in two Minutemen silos. The two newly recovered pieces will be brought to KSC's Security Patrol Headquarters on Contractor Road for examination and temporary storage.

Understanding Variability in Beach Slope to Improve Forecasts of Storm-induced Water Levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doran, K. S.; Stockdon, H. F.; Long, J.

2014-12-01

The National Assessment of Hurricane-Induced Coastal Erosion Hazards combines measurements of beach morphology with storm hydrodynamics to produce forecasts of coastal change during storms for the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coastlines of the United States. Wave-induced water levels are estimated using modeled offshore wave height and period and measured beach slope (from dune toe to shoreline) through the empirical parameterization of Stockdon et al. (2006). Spatial and temporal variability in beach slope leads to corresponding variability in predicted wave setup and swash. Seasonal and storm-induced changes in beach slope can lead to differences on the order of a meter in wave runup elevation, making accurate specification of this parameter essential to skillful forecasts of coastal change. Spatial variation in beach slope is accounted for through alongshore averaging, but temporal variability in beach slope is not included in the final computation of the likelihood of coastal change. Additionally, input morphology may be years old and potentially very different than the conditions present during forecast storm. In order to improve our forecasts of hurricane-induced coastal erosion hazards, the temporal variability of beach slope must be included in the final uncertainty of modeled wave-induced water levels. Frequently collected field measurements of lidar-based beach morphology are examined for study sites in Duck, North Carolina, Treasure Island, Florida, Assateague Island, Virginia, and Dauphin Island, Alabama, with some records extending over a period of 15 years. Understanding the variability of slopes at these sites will help provide estimates of associated water level uncertainty which can then be applied to other areas where lidar observations are infrequent, and improve the overall skill of future forecasts of storm-induced coastal change. Stockdon, H. F., Holman, R. A., Howd, P. A., and Sallenger Jr, A. H. (2006). Empirical parameterization of setup

Head-started Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) nest recorded in Florida: Possible implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shaver, Donna J.; Lamont, Margaret M.; Maxwell, Sharon; Walker, Jennifer Shelby; Dillingham, Ted

2016-01-01

A head-started Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) was documented nesting on South Walton Beach, Florida on 25 May 2015. This record supports the possibility that exposure to Florida waters after being held in captivity through 1–3 yrs of age during the head-starting process may have influenced future nest site selection of this and perhaps other Kemp’s ridley turtles. Such findings could have important ramifications for marine water experimentation and release site selection for turtles that have been reared in captivity.

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE CHARACTERIZATION STUDY FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA - A MITE PROGRAM EVALUATION

EPA Science Inventory

The objectives of the Household Hazardous Waste Characterization Study (the HHW Study) were to: 1) Quantity the annual household hazardous waste (HHW) tonnages disposed in Palm Beach County Florida’s (the County) residential solid waste (characterized in this study as municipal s...

Use of composite data sets for source-tracking enterococci in the water column and shoreline interstitial waters on Pensacola Beach, Florida.

PubMed

Genthner, Fred J; James, Joseph B; Yates, Diane F; Friedman, Stephanie D

2005-07-01

Sources of Enterococcus faecalis isolates from Pensacola Beach, FL. were identified using a library-based approach by applying the statistical method of average similarity to single and composite data sets generated from separate analyses. Data sets included antibiotic resistance analysis (ARA), rep-fingerprints, and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles. Use of a composite data set composed of ARA and rep-fingerprints, added to the confidence of the identifications. The addition of FAME data to composite data sets did not add to the confidence of identifications. Source identification was performed to better understand risk associated with higher densities of enterococci found in swash zone interstitial water (SZIW) as compared to adjacent bathing water on Pensacola Beach, FL. The "swash zone" is that area of the beach continually washed over by waves. As the potential sources of enterococci were limited in this environment, only two library units, sea gull and human, were constructed. Identification of the beach isolates using a composite data set indicated a sea gull origin. The clonality of the beach isolates suggested that the beach environment selects certain subspecies of E. faecalis.

Ecology and management of Sheoak (Casuarina spp.), an invader of coastal Florida, U.S.A.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Casuarina spp. are invasive weeds in Florida that threaten biological diversity and beach integrity of coastal habitats. The trees include three species and their hybrids that aggressively invade riverine and coastal areas. Of the three species, C. equisetifolia and C. glauca are highly salt tol...

Virtual Beach: Decision Support Tools for Beach Pathogen Prediction

EPA Science Inventory

The Virtual Beach Managers Tool (VB) is decision-making software developed to help local beach managers make decisions as to when beaches should be closed due to predicted high levels of water borne pathogens. The tool is being developed under the umbrella of EPA's Advanced Monit...

Development of a Florida Coastal Mapping Program Through Local and Regional Coordination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hapke, C. J.; Kramer, P. A.; Fetherston-Resch, E.; Baumstark, R.

2017-12-01

The State of Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States (2,170 km). The coastal zone is heavily populated and contains 1,900 km of sandy beaches that support economically important recreation and tourism. Florida's waters also host important marine mineral resources, unique ecosystems, and the largest number of recreational boats and saltwater fishermen in the country. There is increasing need and demand for high resolution data of the coast and adjacent seafloor for resource and habitat mapping, understanding coastal vulnerability, evaluating performance of restoration projects, and many other coastal and marine spatial planning efforts. The Florida Coastal Mapping Program (FCMP), initiated in 2017 as a regional collaboration between four federal and three state agencies, has goals of establishing the priorities for high resolution seafloor mapping of Florida's coastal environment, and developing a strategy for leveraging funds to support mapping priorities set by stakeholders. We began by creating a comprehensive digital inventory of existing data (collected by government, the private sector, and academia) from 1 kilometer inland to the 200 meter isobath for a statewide geospatial database and gap analysis. Data types include coastal topography, bathymetry, and acoustic data such as sidescan sonar and subbottom profiles. Next, we will develop appropriate proposals and legislative budget requests in response to opportunities to collect priority data in high priority areas. Data collection will be undertaken by a combination of state and federal agencies. The FCMP effort will provide the critical baseline information that is required for characterizing changes to fragile ecosystems, assessing marine resources, and forecasting the impacts on coastal infrastructure and recreational beaches from future storms and sea-level rise.

Optimization of Ebb Shoal Mining and Beach Nourishment at St. Johns County, St. Augustine Inlet, Florida, Report 3

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

Figure 6). Over the latter time period, from 1999 to 2007, Anastasia State Park experienced significant accretion where the region directly to the south...cu yd/year. However, a known reversal in net transport exists from the northern tip of Anastasia Island down to St. Augustine Beach, and the...connectivity. Therefore, the inlet left- bypassing location was set to the first adjacent cell. Downdrift of the inlet (to the right), the beach at Anastasia

National List of Beaches

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA has published a list of coastal recreation waters adjacent to beaches (or similar points of access) used by the public in the U.S. The list, required by the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act (BEACH Act), identifies waters that are subject to a state beach water quality monitoring and public notification program consistent with the National Beach Guidance and Required Performance Criteria for BEACH Act Grants.

Granulometry and mineralogy of some northeastern Florida placers: a consequence of heavy mineral concentration in nearshore bars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsner, Harald

1992-03-01

Heavy mineral placer deposits of Pleistocene age in northeastern Florida were examined sedimentologically. Neither general setting, nor granulometric or mineralogic results are in agreement with a concentration of the heavy minerals in a beach, eolian or fluvial environment. Granulometric moment parameters of the ore sands seem to be distinctive. They include moderate sorting, high positive skewness, high kurtosis and a distinctive fine tail. Similarities of grain size curves of the placer sands with nearshore-offshore sands exist. Mineralogically the samples are more variable but always impoverished in epidote. This scarcity of epidote is atypical for eolian sediments in the study area, and the lack of garnet and the fineness of ore sands are uncommon for beach placers of northeast Florida. Underlain by dune ridges, which acted as obstacles on the shallow sea floor during the Penholoway transgression (1.3 ± 0.1 Ma B.P.), heavy minerals in the Boulogne and Green Cove Springs main ore body must have been concentrated in bars by the interplay of longshore and transverse bottom currents. Lighter heavy minerals were deposited in smaller nearshore bars closer to the former coast (Green Cove Springs small ore body) or in dunes of barrier islands (Green Cove Springs western ore body). As is true today, layers of noteworthy concentrations of economic minerals in the swash zone of Florida beaches were formed only rarely during storms, contrary to the coasts of Australia or India, where higher energetic conditions prevail. The proposed model of concentration of heavy minerals in certain outer nearshore bars has long been assumed but never been proven.

USE OF COMPOSITE DATA SETS FOR SOURCE-TRACKING ENTEROCCOCCI IN THE WATER COLUMN AND SHORELINE INTERSTITIAL WATERS ON PENSACOLA BEACH, FL

EPA Science Inventory

Genthner, Fred J., Joseph B. James, Diane F. Yates and Stephanie D. Friedman. Submitted. Use of Composite Data Sets for Source-Tracking Enterococci in the Water Column and Shoreline Interstitial Waters on Pensacola Beach Florida. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 33 p. (ERL,GB 1212).

So...

Reaching Out: Team AETHER

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Gloria A.

2010-01-01

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach Campus Lunabotics Team took the opportunity to share the love of space, engineering and technology through the educational outreach portion of the competition. Through visits to elementary schools and high schools, and through support of science fairs and robotics competitions, younger generations were introduced to space, engineering and robotics. This report documents the outreach activities of team Aether.

Beach Resilience to Coastal Structures on a Natural Beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres-Freyermuth, A.; Medellín, G.; Hofman, A.; Tereszkiewicz, P.; Palemón-Arcos, L.; López-González, J.

2016-12-01

Beach resilience plays an important role on reducing coastal risk associated to either natural or human induced perturbations affecting the coast. Field experiments were conducted in order to investigate beach resilience in Sisal, Yucatán. Both impermeable and permeable 14-m groins were designed to asses the impact of coastal structures on the beach morphology during a 24-hour period. The experiments were conducted in the spring of 2015 and 2016, allowing the assessment of both structures under similar forcing conditions. Intense sea breeze events (W>12 m/s) generated high-angle short-waves, driving alongshore transport in the swash zone. Wind, waves, tides, and currents were measured concurrently and are correlated with beach morphology evolution data derived from intense monitoring conducted during the structure deployment. The impermeable structure induced a significant beach accretion (>60 m3/day) in the updrift side of the structure causing a tremendous impact downdrift. On the other hand, the permeable groin induced a smaller but still significant accretion (40 m3/day), allowing sediment bypass throughout the structure. Furthermore, the beach surveying continued after structures removal in order to estimate the beach recovery capability. Field observations show that the impact of the structure on the morphology is negligible six days after structure removal for the impermeable groin and only one day for the permeable structure. The latter suggests the high beach resilience of the study area. We acknowledge field support provided by researchers and students at the LIPC-UNAM. Financial support was provided by CONACYT (Projects LN271544 and Cátedras 1146), DGAPA-UNAM (PAPIIT-IN107315) and Grupo BARI.

Popham Beach, Maine: An example of engineering activity that saved beach property without harming the beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, Joseph T.

2013-10-01

Beach and property erosion on coasts is a widespread and chronic problem. Historical approaches to this issue, including seawalls and sand replenishment, are often inappropriate or too expensive. In Maine, seawalls were banned in 1983 and replenishment is too costly to employ. Replacement of storm-damaged buildings is also not allowed, and a precedent case on Popham Beach, Maine required that the owner remove an unpermitted building from a site where an earlier structure was damaged. When the most popular park in Maine, Popham Beach State Park, experienced inlet associated erosion that threatened park infrastructure (a bathhouse), temporary measures were all that the law allowed. Because it was clear that the inlet channel causing the erosion would eventually change course, the state opted to erect a temporary seawall with fallen trees at the site. This may or may not have slowed the erosion temporarily, but reassured the public that "something was being done". Once a storm cut a new tidal inlet channel and closed off the old one, tidal water still entered the former channel and continued to threaten the bathhouse. To ultimately save the property, beach scraping was employed. Sand was scraped from the lower beach to construct a sand berm that deflected the tidal current away from the endangered property. This action created enough time for natural processes to drive the remains of the former spit onto the beach and widen it significantly. Whereas many examples of engineering practices exist that endanger instead of saving beaches, this example is one of an appropriate engineering effort to rescue unwisely located beach-front property.

Beach groundwater dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horn, Diane P.

2002-11-01

An understanding of the interaction between surface and groundwater flows in the swash zone is necessary to understand beach profile evolution. Coastal researchers have recognized the importance of beach watertable and swash interaction to accretion and erosion above the still water level (SWL), but the exact nature of the relationship between swash flows, beach watertable flow and cross-shore sediment transport is not fully understood. This paper reviews research on beach groundwater dynamics and identifies research questions which will need to be answered before swash zone sediment transport can be successfully modelled. After defining the principal terms relating to beach groundwater, the behavior, measurement and modelling of beach groundwater dynamics is described. Research questions related to the mechanisms of surface-subsurface flow interaction are reviewed, particularly infiltration, exfiltration and fluidisation. The implications of these mechanisms for sediment transport are discussed.

The effects of energy beverages in counteracting the symptoms of mild hypoxia at legal general aviation altitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bull, Daniel Mark

The purpose of this thesis was to conduct preliminary research, in the form of a pilot study, concerning the natural effects of hypoxia compared to the effects of hypoxia experienced after the consumption of an energy beverage. The study evaluated the effects of hypoxia on FAA certificated pilots at a simulated legal general aviation altitude, utilizing the normobaric High Altitude Lab (HAL) located at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida. The researcher tested 11 subjects, who completed three simulated flight tasks within the HAL using the Frasca International Mentor Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD). The flight tasks were completed after consuming Red BullRTM, MonsterRTM , or a placebo beverage. The researcher derived three test variables from core outputs of the AATD: lateral deviations from the glide slope, vertical deviations from the localizer, and airspeed deviations from the target speed of 100 knots. A repeated-measures ANOVA was carried out to determine effects of the beverages on the test variables. While results were non-significant, the researcher concluded that further research should be conducted with a larger sample.

KSC-2012-2884

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – “Snoopy” catches a ride aboard the lunabot built by the students from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, in Daytona Beach, Fla., during a practice session for the third annual Lunabotics Mining Competition at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 50 teams of undergraduate and graduate students from eight countries are participating. The teams have designed and built remote-controlled or autonomous robots that can excavate simulated lunar soil. During the competition, the teams' designs, known as lunabots, will go head-to-head to determine whose machine can collect and deposit the most simulated moon dust within a specified amount of time. The competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to engage and retain students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields of study. The project provides a competitive environment that may result in innovative ideas and solutions that potentially could be applied to future NASA missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Engineering with Nature: Nearshore Berm Placements at Fort Myers Beach and Perdido Key, Florida, USA

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-15

may be winnowed from the placement sediment and ideally move offshore. In the case of Fort Myers Beach, this design proved to be successful. The...material and subsequent dredging of material once the undesirable fine fraction has winnowed out. Conclusions Although quite different designs, both

Beach Volume Change Using Uav Photogrammetry Songjung Beach, Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoo, C. I.; Oh, T. S.

2016-06-01

Natural beach is controlled by many factors related to wave and tidal forces, wind, sediment, and initial topography. For this reason, if numerous topographic data of beach is accurately collected, coastal erosion/acceleration is able to be assessed and clarified. Generally, however, many studies on coastal erosion have limitation to analyse the whole beach, carried out of partial area as like shoreline (horizontal 2D) and beach profile (vertical 2D) on account of limitation of numerical simulation. This is an important application for prevention of coastal erosion, and UAV photogrammetry is also used to 3D topographic data. This paper analyses the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to 3D map and beach volume change. UAV (Quadcopter) equipped with a non-metric camera was used to acquire images in Songjung beach which is located south-east Korea peninsula. The dynamics of beach topography, its geometric properties and estimates of eroded and deposited sand volumes were determined by combining elevation data with quarterly RTK-VRS measurements. To explore the new possibilities for assessment of coastal change we have developed a methodology for 3D analysis of coastal topography evolution based on existing high resolution elevation data combined with low coast, UAV and on-ground RTK-VRS surveys. DSMs were obtained by stereo-matching using Agisoft Photoscan. Using GCPs the vertical accuracy of the DSMs was found to be 10 cm or better. The resulting datasets were integrated in a local coordinates and the method proved to be a very useful fool for the detection of areas where coastal erosion occurs and for the quantification of beach change. The value of such analysis is illustrated by applications to coastal of South Korea sites that face significant management challenges.

NOWCASTING AND FORECASTING BEACH BACTERIA CONCENTRATIONS USING EPA VIRTUAL BEACH SOFTWARE

EPA Science Inventory

Evidence shows that traditional persistence-based beach closure decision making is inadequate, beaches are closed when they could be open and kept open when they should be closed. Intense interest is now focused on efforts to nowcast beach conditions using surrogate variables, su...

BACTERIA, BEACHES AND SWIMMABLE WATERS: INTRODUCING VIRTUAL BEACH

EPA Science Inventory

Safe beaches meet water quality standards and are valued for their aesthetics and the recreational opportunities that they afford. In the United States recreational water quality assessments and beach closure decisions are presently based on samples of enterococci or Escherichia ...

VISUAL BEACH: SOFTWARE FOR ACHIEVING BEACH AESTHETIC AND PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECTION

EPA Science Inventory

The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000 directs the EPA to assure that 100% of significant public beaches are managed by 2008. Under the Act EPA is developing a program to monitor beach water quality and strategies for timely notification of the public...

Experimental Analysis and Measurement of Situation Awareness

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-11-01

the participant is interacting that can be characterized uniquely by a set of information, knowledge and response options. However, the concept of a...should receive attention is when the interruption or the surprise creates a statistical interaction between two or more of the other variables of...Awareness in Complex Systems. Daytona Beach, Fl: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Press. Sarter, N.B., and Woods, D.D. (1994). Pilot interaction

Quantifying the Effects of the Influence of a Tungsten Long-rod Projectile into Confined Ceramics at High-velocity Impact

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-29

be conducted to demonstrate how the confined, brittle samples behave. The study shows that silicon carbide and boron carbide are the optimal...Exposition on Advanced Ceramics and Composites - 27 JAN to 1 FEB 2008, Daytona Beach, FL, The original document contains color images. 14. ABSTRACT 15...specimens investigated were aluminum nitride, boron carbide, 9606 pyroceram, and silicon carbide. The confining sleeve was modeled with RHA and had a

The observed relationship between wave conditions and beach response, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, J.E.; Barnard, P.L.

2009-01-01

Understanding how sandy beaches respond to storms is critical for effective sediment management and developing successful erosion mitigation efforts. However, only limited progress has been made in relating observed beach changes to wave conditions, with one of the major limiting factors being the lack of temporally dense beach topography and nearshore wave data in most studies. This study uses temporally dense beach topographic and offshore wave data to directly link beach response and wave forcing with generally good results. Ocean Beach is an open coast high-energy sandy beach located in San Francisco, CA, USA. From April 2004 through the end of 2008, 60 three-dimensional topographic beach surveys were conducted on approximately a monthly basis, with more frequent “short-term surveys during the winters of 2005-06 and 2006-07. Shoreline position data from the short-term surveys show good correlation with offshore wave height, period, and direction averaged over several days prior to the survey (mean R*=0.54 for entire beach). There is, however, considerable alongshore variation in model performance, with R- values ranging from 0.81 to 0.19 for individual sections of the beach. After wave height, the direction of wave approach was the most important factor in determining the response of the shoreline, followed by wave period. Our results indicate that an empirical predictive model of beach response to wave conditions at Ocean Beach is possible with frequent beach mapping and wave data, and that such a model could be useful to coastal managers. 

Water withdrawals, use, discharge, and trends in Florida, 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marella, Richard L.

2004-01-01

In 2000, the estimated amount of water withdrawn in Florida was 20,148 million gallons per day (Mgal/d), of which 59 percent was saline and 41 percent was fresh. Ground water accounted for 62 percent of freshwater withdrawals and surface water accounted for the remaining 38 percent. Ninety-two percent of the 15.98 million people in Florida relied on ground water for their drinking water needs in 2000. Almost all of the saline water withdrawals (99.9 percent) were from surface water. Public supply accounted for 43 percent of ground water withdrawn in 2000, followed by agricultural self-supplied (39 percent), commercial-industrial self-supplied (including mining) (8.5 percent), recreational irrigation (4.5 percent), domestic self-supplied (4 percent), and power generation (1 percent). Agricultural self-supplied accounted for 62 percent of fresh surface water withdrawn in 2000, followed by power generation (20 percent), public supply (8 percent), recreational irrigation (6 percent), and commercial-industrial self-supplied (4 percent). Almost all of saline water withdrawn was used for power generation. The largest amount of freshwater was withdrawn in Palm Beach County and the largest amount of saline water was withdrawn in Hillsborough County. Significant withdrawals (more than 200 Mgal/d) of fresh ground water occurred in Miami-Dade, Polk, Orange, Palm Beach, Broward, and Collier Counties. Significant withdrawals (more than 200 Mgal/d) of fresh surface water occurred in Palm Beach, Hendry, and Escambia Counties. The South Florida Water Management District accounted for the largest amount of freshwater withdrawn (49 percent). About 62 percent of the total ground water withdrawn was from the Floridan aquifer system; 17 percent was from the Biscayne aquifer. Most of the surface water used in Florida was from managed and maintained canal systems or large water bodies. Major sources of fresh surface water include the Caloosahatchee River, Deer Point Lake, Hillsborough

Initial Evaluation of the Effects of Aerosolized Florida Red Tide Toxins (Brevetoxins) in Persons with Asthma

PubMed Central

Fleming, Lora E.; Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Backer, Lorraine C.; Bean, Judy A.; Wanner, Adam; Dalpra, Dana; Tamer, Robert; Zaias, Julia; Cheng, Yung Sung; Pierce, Richard; Naar, Jerome; Abraham, William; Clark, Richard; Zhou, Yue; Henry, Michael S.; Johnson, David; Van De Bogart, Gayl; Bossart, Gregory D.; Harrington, Mark; Baden, Daniel G.

2005-01-01

Florida red tides annually occur in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting from blooms of the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. K. brevis produces highly potent natural polyether toxins, known as brevetoxins, that activate voltage-sensitive sodium channels. In experimental animals, brevetoxins cause significant bronchoconstriction. A study of persons who visited the beach recreationally found a significant increase in self-reported respiratory symptoms after exposure to aerosolized Florida red tides. Anecdotal reports indicate that persons with underlying respiratory diseases may be particularly susceptible to adverse health effects from these aerosolized toxins. Fifty-nine persons with physician-diagnosed asthma were evaluated for 1 hr before and after going to the beach on days with and without Florida red tide. Study participants were evaluated with a brief symptom questionnaire, nose and throat swabs, and spirometry approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Environmental monitoring, water and air sampling (i.e., K. brevis, brevetoxins, and particulate size distribution), and personal monitoring (for toxins) were performed. Brevetoxin concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, and a newly developed brevetoxin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Participants were significantly more likely to report respiratory symptoms after Florida red tide exposure. Participants demonstrated small but statistically significant decreases in forced expiratory volume in 1 sec, forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75%, and peak expiratory flow after exposure, particularly those regularly using asthma medications. Similar evaluation during nonexposure periods did not significantly differ. This is the first study to show objectively measurable adverse health effects from exposure to aerosolized Florida red tide toxins in persons with asthma. Future studies will examine the possible chronic

Initial evaluation of the effects of aerosolized Florida red tide toxins (brevetoxins) in persons with asthma.

PubMed

Fleming, Lora E; Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Backer, Lorraine C; Bean, Judy A; Wanner, Adam; Dalpra, Dana; Tamer, Robert; Zaias, Julia; Cheng, Yung Sung; Pierce, Richard; Naar, Jerome; Abraham, William; Clark, Richard; Zhou, Yue; Henry, Michael S; Johnson, David; Van De Bogart, Gayl; Bossart, Gregory D; Harrington, Mark; Baden, Daniel G

2005-05-01

Florida red tides annually occur in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting from blooms of the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. K. brevis produces highly potent natural polyether toxins, known as brevetoxins, that activate voltage-sensitive sodium channels. In experimental animals, brevetoxins cause significant bronchoconstriction. A study of persons who visited the beach recreationally found a significant increase in self-reported respiratory symptoms after exposure to aerosolized Florida red tides. Anecdotal reports indicate that persons with underlying respiratory diseases may be particularly susceptible to adverse health effects from these aerosolized toxins. Fifty-nine persons with physician-diagnosed asthma were evaluated for 1 hr before and after going to the beach on days with and without Florida red tide. Study participants were evaluated with a brief symptom questionnaire, nose and throat swabs, and spirometry approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Environmental monitoring, water and air sampling (i.e., K. brevis, brevetoxins, and particulate size distribution), and personal monitoring (for toxins) were performed. Brevetoxin concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, and a newly developed brevetoxin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Participants were significantly more likely to report respiratory symptoms after Florida red tide exposure. Participants demonstrated small but statistically significant decreases in forced expiratory volume in 1 sec, forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75%, and peak expiratory flow after exposure, particularly those regularly using asthma medications. Similar evaluation during nonexposure periods did not significantly differ. This is the first study to show objectively measurable adverse health effects from exposure to aerosolized Florida red tide toxins in persons with asthma. Future studies will examine the possible chronic

Morphology and composition of beach-cast Posidonia oceanica litter on beaches with different exposures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simeone, Simone; De Falco, Giovanni

2012-05-01

Posidonia oceanica seagrass litter is commonly found along sandy shores in the Mediterranean region, forming structures called banquettes, which are often removed in order to allow the beach to be used for tourism. This paper evaluates the relationship between the morphology and composition of banquettes and beach exposure to dominant waves. A Real Time Kinematic Differential Global Positioning System was used to evaluate the variability of banquettes and beach morphology over a period of 1 year. Banquette samples, collected at two different levels of the beach profile (i.e. foreshore and backshore), were used to evaluate the contribution of leaves, rhizomes and sediments to the total weight. Banquettes showed a higher volume, thickness and cross-shore length on exposed beaches, whereas narrower litter deposits were found on the sheltered beach. On exposed beaches, banquettes were deposited in beach zones characterized by changes in elevation. These changes in elevation were mainly due to the deposition and erosion of sediments and secondly to the deposition and or erosion of leaf litter. On sheltered beaches, the variability in beach morphology was low and was restricted to areas where the banquettes were located. The leaf/sediment ratio changed along the cross-shore profile. On the backshore, banquettes were a mixture of sediments and leaves, whereas leaves were the main component on the foreshore, independently of the beach exposure. The processes which control the morphodynamics in the swash zone could explain the variability of banquette composition along the cross-shore profile. Finally, this study highlighted that Posidonia oceanica seagrass litter plays an important role in the geomorphology of the beachface and its removal can have a harmful impact on the beaches.

Burrowing inhibition by fine textured beach fill: Implications for recovery of beach ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viola, Sloane M.; Hubbard, David M.; Dugan, Jenifer E.; Schooler, Nicholas K.

2014-10-01

Beach nourishment is often considered the most environmentally sound method of maintaining eroding shorelines. However, the ecological consequences are poorly understood. Fill activities cause intense disturbance and high mortality and have the potential to alter the diversity, abundance, and distribution of intertidal macroinvertebrates for months to years. Ecological recovery following fill activities depends on successful recolonization and recruitment of the entire sandy intertidal community. The use of incompatible sediments as fill material can strongly affect ecosystem recovery. We hypothesized that burrowing inhibition of intertidal animals by incompatible fine fill sediments contributes to ecological impacts and limits recovery in beach ecosystems. We experimentally investigated the influence of intertidal zone and burrowing mode on responses of beach invertebrates to altered sediment texture (28-38% fines), and ultimately the potential for colonization and recovery of beaches disturbed by beach filling. Using experimental trials in fill material and natural beach sand, we found that the mismatched fine fill sediments significantly inhibited burrowing of characteristic species from all intertidal zones, including sand crabs, clams, polychaetes, isopods, and talitrid amphipods. Burrowing performance of all five species we tested was consistently reduced in the fill material and burrowing was completely inhibited for several species. The threshold for burrowing inhibition by fine sediment content in middle and lower beach macroinvertebrates varied by species, with highest sensitivity for the polychaete (4% fines, below the USA regulatory limit of 10% fines), followed by sand crabs and clams (20% fines). These results suggest broader investigation of thresholds for burrowing inhibition in fine fill material is needed for beach animals. Burrowing inhibition caused by mismatched fill sediments exposes beach macroinvertebrates to stresses, which could depress

Extreme beach retreat history inferred from cut-and-fill beach deposits at Moruya, SE Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamura, T.; Woodroffe, C. D.; Oliver, T.; Cunningham, A. C.

2017-12-01

A sequence of beach ridges often records a `cut and fill', where the fair-weather swash accretion of beach sand is punctuated by storm erosion. The detailed chronology of the sequence is thus a clue to decipher past storm events and associated beach erosion, but has not been explored much. Here we explore the potential of such a sequence to detect past extreme retreats in Bengello Beach at Moruya, southeastern Australia. Beach monitoring since 1972 reveals that Bengello beach has shown a typical cut and fill, in which the beach retreats several tens of meters in relation to storms and recovers within a following few years. A storm event caused extreme retreat up to 50 m in 1974. Since then, no retreat exceeded 30 m. The beach monitoring highlights the sporadic nature of the prograded beach deposits; they can only be preserved as stratigraphic records during rapid beach recovery following a large retreat deeper than the beach profile envelope. Thus, ages of the preserved beach deposits roughly correspond to timings of large retreat. Optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages were determined for beach deposits at 5-10 m intervals along a shore-normal transect from the modern foredune to beach ridge 120 m inland. The most landward sample was dated as 510 yr, indicating that the net progradation rate is 0.24 m/yr, concordant with both the long- and short-term rates since the mid Holocene and 1972, respectively. Other ages show four events of retreat around 350, 180, 130 and 90 yr, and also reflect the beach scarp resulting from the 1974 event. The retreat of each event is given by the distance between the shoreline position prior to storm erosion and relevant gap in OSL age. The position of the pre-storm shoreline is estimated by assuming a constant rate of the net progradation of 0.24 m/yr, as with long- and short-term rates. The retreat of the four events is then determined as 45-55 m, similar to the 1974 event. In summary, extreme beach retreats, including that in

Five years of beach drainage survey on a macrotidal beach (Quend-Plage, northern France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bain, Olivier; Toulec, Renaud; Combaud, Anne; Villemagne, Guillaume; Barrier, Pascal

2016-07-01

A drainage system was installed in 2008 on the macrotidal beach of Quend-Plage, close to Abbeville (Somme, northern France), following a period of significant erosion of recreational areas. The "Direction départementale des territoires et de la mer" (French Coastal Department Authority) has requested a biannual survey in order to validate the beach drainage setup and its efficiency. This paper presents the methodology used for this survey, and the response of the coastal system to this soft engineering method for preventing erosion. These five years of drainage operation have strongly modified the morphology of the beach. Three main modifications occurred: (i) accretion of the upper beach and foredune, (ii) erosion of the lower and middle beach and (iii) a slight shift in directions of the beach bars and troughs. These morphological changes finally led to the stabilization of the beach.

The Different Faces of San Francisco's Ocean Beach: Analyzing Sand Size and Beach Shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grove, K.; Labit, R.; Lui, S.; Rodriquez, I.; Yi, C.; Yu, M.

2004-12-01

Ocean Beach is located along the western edge of San Francisco adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. Erosion along the southern part of the beach is threatening a nearby highway and water treatment plant. To better understand this beach and the processes that form it, our SF-ROCKS research group collected data from seven locations along its length. We used an auto-level surveying instrument to measure beach profiles and we collected sand samples that were measured using sieves and a sieve shaker. We plotted profiles and grain-size data using Excel and Surfer software. The sediment is mostly fine sand, and the means of all samples range between 0.19-0.26 mm. There may be little variation along the beach because only small sand grains have survived the long journey from their Sierra Nevada source. Profile shape does vary along the beach. The profile at the northern end is about three times wider than the profile at the southern end. The northern profile is flatter overall, but all profiles had a steep beach face in August, when the data were collected. The differences in beach profiles may be related to position relative to the offshore bar, which appears to provide sand to the northern part of the beach. Our group will collect more data in November to see what changes have occurred after the large-wave season has begun. We will use Surfer software to compare summer and fall profiles, to see where sediment has been added and where sediment has been removed. We will also compare our results to the data collected by Dr. Patrick Barnard and his research group at the U.S. Geological Survey, who are using an All-Terrain Vehicle to measure beach profiles and a camera to measure sediment size. We will use our analysis of beach variations to make recommendations for reducing beach erosion.

FAA Aviation Forecasts

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-02-01

MKK) Daytona Beach, FL (DAB) Boise, ID (BOI) Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) Idaho Falls Fanning Field, ID (IDA) Fort Lauderdale Executive, FL (FXE... Lewiston , ID (LWS) Fort Myers Page Field, FL (FMY) Pocatello, ID (PIH) Fort Myers Regional, FL (RSW) Twin Falls, ID (TWF) Fort Pierce, FL (FPR) Alton St... Idaho (SUN) 6. Marion Williamson County, Illinois (MWA) 7. Waukegan, Illinois (UGN) 8. Topeka-Phillip Ballard, Kansas (TOP) 9. Owensboro-Daviees County

The role of beach morphodynamic state on infragravity swash on beaches: field observations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomes da Silva, Paula; González, Mauricio; Medina, Raul

2017-04-01

The runup generated by waves can be defined as the maximum height above sea water level on the coastline and is an important criterion for costal structures/nourishment design and erosion/flooding risk analysis. Given the complexity of nonlinear processes involved in the runup generation, its prediction is commonly made by means of empirical formulations that relate wave and beach parameters. The most accepted parametrization presented till the moment was proposed by Stockdon et al. (2006), in which the runup exceeded by 2 percent of the waves (R2) is described in terms of setup (η - the steady superelevation of the mean water level caused by breaking waves) and incident and infragravity swash (Sinc and Sig- time-varying fluctuations around the setup caused by non-breaking waves). Such formulation has been widely accepted and its efficiency was appraised in many works. Nevertheless, although empirical parametrization of infragravity swash using incident wave's parameters shows reasonable skill, the correlation can still present considerable scatter. The amount of infragravity energy on swash is directly related to the morphodynamic beach state, in a way that beach profiles classified as reflective (low wave energy, coarse sediment and higher beach slope) tend to show lower Sig values than dissipative ones (high wave energy, fine sediment and lower beach slope). However, since Stockdon's formula for predicting infragravity swash consider only wave parameters, its use implies that beaches receiving the same wave energy but with different grain size and beach slope would present the same Sig values. This work assumed the hypothesis that the scatter verified on the predictions of the infragravity swash is mainly related to the lack of information about the beach state in Stockdon formula. Based on that, a field campaign was designed and carried out in Somo-El Puntal beach, north Spain, with the aim of generating data to be analyzed in terms of infragravity swash. An

Virtual Beach Manager Toolset

EPA Science Inventory

The Virtual Beach Manager Toolset (VB) is a set of decision support software tools developed to help local beach managers make decisions as to when beaches should be closed due to predicted high levels of water borne pathogens. The tools are being developed under the umbrella of...

Effects of beach replenishment on intertidal invertebrates: A 15-month, eight beach study.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wooldridge, Tyler; Henter, Heather J.; Kohn, Joshua R.

2016-06-01

Beach replenishment is an increasingly popular means to remediate coastal erosion, but no consensus exists regarding how long replenishment affects sandy beach intertidal invertebrates, key components of beach ecosystems. We monitored the intertidal invertebrate community for fifteen months following a replenishment project at eight beaches, each with replenished and control sections, across San Diego County. Nearly all taxa showed major declines in abundance immediately following replenishment. Populations of talitrid amphipods and the bean clam Donax gouldii recovered within one year, sooner than in previous studies. On some beaches, populations of the mole crab Emerita analoga bloomed four months after replenishment and were more numerous on replenished portions of beaches at that time. Mole crab populations subsequently declined and no longer differed by treatment. The polychaete community, composed of Scolelepis sp. and several other numerically important taxa, showed a strong replenishment-induced reduction in abundance that persisted through the end of the study. The large negative effect of replenishment on polychaetes, coupled with their overall importance to the invertebrate community, resulted in a more than twofold reduction in overall invertebrate abundance on replenished beaches at 15 months. Such reductions may have far reaching consequences for sandy beach ecosystems, as community declines can reduce prey availability for shorebirds and fish. As this and other recent studies have revealed longer times for the recovery of intertidal invertebrates than previously observed, longer study periods and more cautious estimates regarding the magnitude, variability, and duration of impacts of beach replenishment for management decision-making are warranted.

A field data assessment of contemporary models of beach cusp formation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, J.R.; Psuty, N.P.; Bauer, B.O.; Carter, R.W.G.

1996-01-01

Cusp formation was observed during an instrumented, daily profiled, time series of a reflective beach in Canaveral National Seashore, Florida on January 5, 1988. The monitored cusp embayment formed by erosion of the foreshore and the cusp series had a mean spacing of approximately 28 m. During this time, inshore fluid flows were dominated by two standing edge waves at frequencies of 0.06 Hz (primary) and 0.035 Hz (secondary) whereas incident waves were broadbanded at 0.12-0.16 Hz. Directly measured flows (and indirectly estimated swash excursion) data support both the standing wave subharmonic model and the self-organization model of cusp formation in this study.

Louisiana's statewide beach cleanup

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindstedt, Dianne M.; Holmes, Joseph C.

1989-01-01

Litter along Lousiana's beaches has become a well-recognized problem. In September 1987, Louisiana's first statewide beach cleanup attracted about 3300 volunteers who filled 16,000 bags with trash collected along 15 beaches. An estimated 800,173 items were gathered. Forty percent of the items were made of plastic and 11% were of polystyrene. Of all the litter collected, 37% was beverage-related. Litter from the oil and gas, commercial fishing, and maritime shipping industries was found, as well as that left by recreational users. Although beach cleanups temporarily rid Louisiana beaches of litter, the real value of the effort is in public participation and education. Civic groups, school children, and individuals have benefited by increasing their awareness of the problems of trash disposal.

Persistent marine litter: small plastics and cigarette butts remain on beaches after organized beach cleanups.

PubMed

Loizidou, Xenia I; Loizides, Michael I; Orthodoxou, Demetra L

2018-06-20

Cyprus is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean whose economy is largely dependent on coastal tourism. It boasts some of the cleanest waters in Europe and has the largest number of Blue Flag awarded beaches per capita in the world. These beaches are managed by local authorities and are regularly cleaned, throughout the year, at least once per day. This paper presents findings from cleanups that were organized over the summers of 2016 and 2017 on nine Blue Flag beaches around the island of Cyprus, after the beaches were cleaned by the responsible authorities. The aim was to answer the following questions: 'Are regular beach cleanups by local authorities efficient?' and 'What is left on a "clean" beach?' The results suggest that local authority cleanup efforts are quite successful at collecting larger pieces of marine litter, leaving the beach seemingly clean. However, small pieces of litter, such as cigarette butts and small pieces of plastic items related to recreational activities, remain on the beach. They likely accumulate or are buried over time, with some items becoming a nuisance to beach goers and a potential source of marine litter.

Morphodynamics of a mesotidal rocky beach: Palmeras beach, Gorgona Island National Natural Park, Colombia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez-García, A. M.; Bernal, G. R.; Osorio, A. F.; Botero, V.

2014-10-01

The response of a rocky beach to different possible combinations of hydrodynamic conditions (tides, waves, oceanic currents) has been little studied. In this work, the morphodynamic response to different hydrodynamic forcing is evaluated from sedimentological and geomorphological analysis in seasonal and medium term (19 years) scale in Palmeras beach, located in the southwest of Gorgona Island National Natural Park (NNP), a mesotidal rocky island on the Colombian Pacific continental shelf. Palmeras is an important nesting area of two types of marine turtles, with no anthropogenic stress. In the last years, coastal erosion has reduced the beach width, restricting the safe areas for nesting and conservation of these species. Until now, the sinks, sources, reservoirs, rates, and paths of sediments were unknown, as well as their hydrodynamic forcing. The beach seasonal variability, from October 2010 to August 2012, was analyzed based on biweekly or monthly measurements of five beach profiles distributed every 200 m along the 1.2 km of beach length. The main paths for sediment transport were defined from the modeling of wave currents with the SMC model (Coastal Modeling System), as well as the oceanic currents, simulated for the dry and wet seasons of 2011 using the ELCOM model (Estuary and Lake COmputer Model). Extreme morphologic variations over a time span of 19 years were analyzed with the Hsu and Evans beach static equilibrium parabolic model, from one wave diffraction point which dominates the general beach plan shape. The beach lost 672 m3/m during the measuring period, and erosional processes were intensified during the wet season. The beach trends responded directly to a wave mean energy flux change, resulting in an increase of up to 14 m in the width northward and loss of sediments in the beach southward. This study showed that to obtain the integral morphodynamic behavior of a rocky beach it is necessary to combine information of hydrodynamic, sedimentology

Detailed Project Report. Small Beach Erosion Control Project. Broadkill Beach, Delaware.

DTIC Science & Technology

1972-02-01

this study. TABLE 3 ESTIMATED PROPERTY VALUES IN BROADKILL BEACH (July 1971) Beach Front Property* Entire Community Present Present Fair Value Fair ...between the 14th and 50th year reflect only the land, houses and utilities (minus salvage value estimated at 25% of the fair value ) that are located... Value $ $ 1,221,000 2,866,000 ftExcluding beach area. >4’ 5 11. The water entering Delaware Bay from Delaware River is polluted, but the degree of

Water Withdrawals, Use, and Trends in Florida, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marella, Richard L.

2009-01-01

In 2005, the total amount of water withdrawals in Florida was estimated at 18,359 million gallons per day (Mgal/d). Saline water accounted for 11,486 Mgal/d (63 percent), and freshwater accounted for 6,873 Mgal/d (37 percent). Groundwater accounted for 4,247 Mgal/d (62 percent) of freshwater withdrawals, and surface water accounted for the remaining 2,626 Mgal/d (38 percent). Surface water accounted for nearly all (99.9 percent) saline-water withdrawals. An additional 660 Mgal/d of reclaimed wastewater was used in Florida during 2005. The largest amount of freshwater was withdrawn from Palm Beach County, and the largest amount of saline water was withdrawn from Pasco County. Fresh groundwater provided drinking water (public supplied and self-supplied) for 16.19 million people (90 percent of Florida's population), and fresh surface water provided drinking water for 1.73 million people (10 percent). The majority of groundwater withdrawals (nearly 60 percent) in 2005 was obtained from the Floridan aquifer system which is present throughout the entire State. The majority of fresh surface-water withdrawals (59 percent) came from the southern Florida hydrologic unit subregion and is associated with Lake Okeechobee and the canals in the Everglades Agricultural Area of Glades, Hendry, and Palm Beach Counties, as well as the Caloosahatchee River and its tributaries in the agricultural areas of Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties. Overall, agricultural irrigation accounted for 40 percent of the total freshwater withdrawals (ground and surface), followed by public supply with 37 percent. Public supply accounted for 52 percent of groundwater withdrawals, followed by agricultural self-supplied (31 percent), ommercial-industrial-mining self-supplied (8.5 percent), recreational irrigation and domestic self-supplied (4 percent each), and power generation (0.5 percent). Agricultural self-supplied accounted for 56 percent of fresh surface-water withdrawals, followed by power

Frontiers in Outreach and Education: The Florida Red Tide Experience.

PubMed

Nierenberg, Kate; Hollenbeck, Julie; Fleming, Lora E; Stephan, Wendy; Reich, Andrew; Backer, Lorraine C; Currier, Robert; Kirkpatrick, Barbara

2011-05-01

To enhance information sharing and garner increased support from the public for scientific research, funding agencies now typically require that research groups receiving support convey their work to stakeholders. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-(NIEHS) funded Aerosolized Florida Red Tide P01 research group (Florida Red Tide Research Group) has employed a variety of outreach strategies to meet this requirement. Messages developed from this project began a decade ago and have evolved from basic print material (fliers and posters) to an interactive website, to the use of video and social networking technologies, such as Facebook and Twitter. The group was able to track dissemination of these information products; however, evaluation of their effectiveness presented much larger challenges. The primary lesson learned by the Florida Red Tide Research Group is that the best ways to reach specific stakeholders is to develop unique products or services to address specific stakeholders needs, such as the Beach Conditions Reporting System. Based on the experience of the Group, the most productive messaging products result when scientific community engages potential stakeholders and outreach experts during the very initial phases of a project.

Frontiers in Outreach and Education: The Florida Red Tide Experience

PubMed Central

Nierenberg, Kate; Hollenbeck, Julie; Fleming, Lora E.; Stephan, Wendy; Reich, Andrew; Backer, Lorraine C.; Currier, Robert; Kirkpatrick, Barbara

2011-01-01

To enhance information sharing and garner increased support from the public for scientific research, funding agencies now typically require that research groups receiving support convey their work to stakeholders. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-(NIEHS) funded Aerosolized Florida Red Tide P01 research group (Florida Red Tide Research Group) has employed a variety of outreach strategies to meet this requirement. Messages developed from this project began a decade ago and have evolved from basic print material (fliers and posters) to an interactive website, to the use of video and social networking technologies, such as Facebook and Twitter. The group was able to track dissemination of these information products; however, evaluation of their effectiveness presented much larger challenges. The primary lesson learned by the Florida Red Tide Research Group is that the best ways to reach specific stakeholders is to develop unique products or services to address specific stakeholders needs, such as the Beach Conditions Reporting System. Based on the experience of the Group, the most productive messaging products result when scientific community engages potential stakeholders and outreach experts during the very initial phases of a project. PMID:21532966

Contact with beach sand among beach-goers and risk of illness

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Recently, numerous studies of fecal contamination of beach sand have triggered interest among scientists, the news media, and the general public. Evidence shows that beach sand harbors higher concentrations of fecal indicator organisms (microbes considered to indicate...

Advanced Decision-Support for Coastal Beach Health: Virtual Beach 3.0

EPA Science Inventory

Virtual Beach is a free decision-support system designed to help beach managers and researchers construct, evaluate, and operate site-specific statistical models that can predict levels of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) based on environmental conditions that are more readily mea...

Virtual Beach 3: User's Guide

EPA Science Inventory

Virtual Beach version 3 (VB3) is a decision support tool that constructs site-specific statistical models to predict fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) concentrations at recreational beaches. VB3 is primarily designed for beach managers responsible for making decisions regarding beac...

Notification: Review of Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act (BEACH Act) Grants for Beach Monitoring and Public Notification

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Project #OPE-FY15-0056, July 14, 2015. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to begin research on Office of Water grants for beach monitoring and public notification under the BEACH Act.

How a south Florida hospital targeted Hispanic consumers.

PubMed

Weinstein, A

1988-02-01

Last month's "Case in Point" presented AMI Parkway Regional Medical Center, a 412-bed acute care hospital in North Miami Beach, Fla. The hospital's administration has recognized the ethnic make-up of the South Florida market (white, black and Hispanic) and wants to increase its penetration into the large and potentially lucrative Latin market. The hospital is one of six in South Florida that are owned by American Medical International Inc., Los Angeles. Parkway recently completed a modernization and development program that resulted in an expanded emergency department, state-of-the-art critical care units, a cost-saving ambulatory unit and facilities for outpatient and community education programs. Positioned in a fiercely competitive market, Parkway has adopted an aggressive marketing posture. The marketing function has been elevated to one of six hospital divisions, sharing equal footing with finance, professional services, administrative services, nursing and human resources. Given the hospital's reputation for action and the previous success of programs based on market research, the assistant administrator for marketing and business development secured support for research on the Latin market.

Survival potential of Escherichia coli and Enterococci in subtropical beach sand: implications for water quality managers.

PubMed

Hartz, A; Cuvelier, M; Nowosielski, K; Bonilla, T D; Green, M; Esiobu, N; McCorquodale, D S; Rogerson, A

2008-01-01

Fecal bacteria have traditionally been used as indicator organisms to monitor the quality of recreational waters. Recent work has questioned the robustness of traditional indicators, particularly at seawater bathing beaches. For example, a study of Florida beaches found unexpectedly high abundances of Escherichia coli, fecal coliforms, and enterococci in beach sand. The aim of the present study was to explain these abundances by assessing the survival of E. coli and enterococci in beach sand relative to seawater. We used a combination of quantitative laboratory mesocosm experiments and field observations. Results suggested that E. coli and enterococci exhibited increased survivability and growth in sand relative to seawater. Because fecal bacteria are capable of replicating in sand, at least under controlled laboratory conditions, the results suggest that sand may be an important reservoir of metabolically active fecal organisms. Experiments with "natural" mesocosms (i.e., unsterilized sand or water rich in micropredators and native bacteria) failed to show the same increases in fecal indicators as was found in sterile sand. It is postulated that this was due to predation and competition with indigenous bacteria in these "natural" systems. Nonetheless, high populations of indicators were maintained and recovered from sand over the duration of the experiment as opposed to the die-off noted in water. Indicator bacteria may wash out of sand into shoreline waters during weather and tidal events, thereby decreasing the effectiveness of these indicators as predictors of health risk and complicating the interpretations for water quality managers.

Hawaii Beach Monitoring Program: Beach Profile Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gibbs, Ann E.; Richmond, Bruce M.; Fletcher, Charles H.; Hillman, Kindra P.

2001-01-01

Coastal erosion is widespread and locally severe in Hawaii and other low-latitude areas. Typical erosion rates in Hawaii are in the range of 15 to 30 cm/yr (0.5 to 1 ft/yr; Hwang, 1981; Sea Engineering, Inc., 1988; Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc. and Sea Engineering, Inc.,1991). Recent studies on Oahu (Fletcher et al., 1997; Coyne et al., 1996) have shown that nearly 24%, or 27.5 km (17.1 mi) of an original 115 km (71.6 mi) of sandy shoreline (1940's) has been either significantly narrowed (17.2 km; 10.7 mi) or lost (10.3 km; 6.4 mi). Nearly one-quarter of the islands' beaches have been significantly degraded over the last half-century and all shorelines have been affected to some degree. Oahu shorelines are by far the most studied, however, beach loss has been identified on the other islands as well, with nearly 13 km (8 mi) of beach likely lost due to shoreline hardening on Maui (Makai Engineering, Inc. and Sea Engineering, Inc., 1991). Causes of coastal erosion and beach loss in Hawaii are numerous but, unfortunately, poorly understood and rarely quantified. Construction of shoreline protection structures limits coastal land loss, but does not alleviate beach loss and may actually accelerate the problem by prohibiting sediment deposition in front of the structures. Other factors contributing to beach loss include: a) reduced sediment supply; b) large storms; and, c) sea-level rise. Reduction in sand supply, either from landward or seaward (primarily reef) sources, can have a myriad of causes. Obvious causes such as beach sand mining and emplacement of structures that interrupt natural sediment transport pathways or prevent access to backbeach sand deposits, remove sediment from the active littoral system. More complex issues of sediment supply can be related to reef health and carbonate production which, in turn, may be linked to changes in water quality. Second, the accumulated effect of large storms is to transport sediment beyond the littoral system. Third

77 FR 5793 - Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act; Availability of BEACH Act Grants

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-06

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [OW-FRL-9627-4] Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act; Availability of BEACH Act Grants AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION... Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act authorizes EPA to award program development and...

Concepts in gravel beach dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buscombe, Daniel; Masselink, Gerhard

2006-11-01

The dominant processes in gravel beach dynamics are reviewed, highlighting some common themes which unify the various components of the gravel beach system, the repercussions of which impart on how gravel beach dynamics might be understood conceptually. In particular, gravel beach dynamics are thought to be highly dependent on the temporal and spatial variation in grain size, and the continual adjustments made by an active beach step, both of which act not only as the expression of changing morphodynamic conditions, but also as a controlling influence. Morphodynamics, the notion that the exchanges on beaches between the hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and morphological change takes the form of reciprocal relationships which are mediated through feedback mechanisms (in such a way that they cannot be thought of or studied independently) is not a new one. Yet it appears that for the gravel beach, morphodynamics must be re-defined to describe conditions where variations in sediment size are thought to deserve parity, rather than as merely a sequent entity or boundary condition. 'Morpho-sedimentary-dynamics' is a phrase coined to intuit such cause and effect, detailing the co-evolution of morphology, hydro-hydraulics and sediment properties whilst acknowledging causative pluralism, feedbacks and multiplier effects. This is the recommended conceptual framework within which to crystallise thought and organise further research for the gravel beach. Essentially, it increases the minimum number of parameters needed to describe the state of the gravel beach as a physical system. Therefore, it is advised that simplicity will be most expedient in our future modelling efforts, if complexity is to be adequately encapsulated.

Assessment of swimming associated health effects in marine bathing beach: an example from Morib beach (Malaysia).

PubMed

Praveena, Sarva Mangala; Pauzi, Norfasmawati Mohd; Hamdan, Munashamimi; Sham, Shaharuddin Mohd

2015-03-15

A survey among beachgoers was conducted to determine the swimming associated health effects experienced and its relationship with beach water exposure behaviour in Morib beach. For beach water exposure behaviour, the highest frequency of visit among the respondents was once a year (41.9%). For ways of water exposure, whole body exposure including head was the highest (38.5%). For duration of water exposure, 30.8% respondents prefer to be in water for about 30 min with low possibilities of accidental ingestion of beach water. A total of 30.8% of beachgoers in Morib beach were reported of having dermal symptoms. Bivariate analysis showed only water activity, water contact and accidental ingestion of beach water showed significant association with swimming associated health effects experienced by swimmers. This study output showed that epidemiological study can be used to identify swimming associated health effects in beach water exposed to faecal contamination. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Indicators of microbial beach water quality: preliminary findings from Teluk Kemang beach, Port Dickson (Malaysia).

PubMed

Praveena, Sarva Mangala; Chen, Kwan Soo; Ismail, Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed

2013-11-15

This study aims to determine the concentrations of total coliforms and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in beach water, Teluk Kemang beach. This study was also aimed to determine relationship between total coliforms, E. coli and physicochemical parameters. As perceived health symptoms among beach visitors are rarely incorporated in beach water studies, this element was also assessed in this study. A total of eight water sampling points were selected randomly along Teluk Kemang beach. Total coliforms concentrations were found between 20 and 1940 cfu/100ml. E. coli concentrations were between 0 and 90 cfu/100ml. Significant correlations were found between total coliforms and E. coli with pH, temperature and oxidation reduction potential. Skin and eyes symptoms were the highest reported though in small numbers. Microbiological water quality in Teluk Kemang public beach was generally safe for recreational activities except sampling location near with sewage outfall. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gone to the Beach — Using GIS to infer how people value different beaches for salt water recreation.

EPA Science Inventory

Estimating the non-market value of beaches for saltwater recreation is complex. An individual’s preference for a beach depends on their perception of beach characteristics. When choosing one beach over another, an individual balances these personal preferences with any addi...

USING HYDROGRAPHIC DATA AND THE EPA VIRTUAL BEACH MODEL TO TEST PREDICTIONS OF BEACH BACTERIA CONCENTRATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

A modeling study of 2006 Huntington Beach (Lake Erie) beach bacteria concentrations indicates multi-variable linear regression (MLR) can effectively estimate bacteria concentrations compared to the persistence model. Our use of the Virtual Beach (VB) model affirms that fact. VB i...

Through the sands of time: Beach litter trends from nine cleaned north cornish beaches.

PubMed

Watts, Andrew J R; Porter, Adam; Hembrow, Neil; Sharpe, Jolyon; Galloway, Tamara S; Lewis, Ceri

2017-09-01

Marine litter and its accumulation on beaches is an issue of major current concern due to its significant environmental and economic impacts. Yet our understanding of spatio-temporal trends in beach litter and the drivers of these trends are currently limited by the availability of robust long term data sets. Here we present a unique data set collected systematically once a month, every month over a six year period for nine beaches along the North Coast of Cornwall, U.K. to investigate the key drivers of beach litter in the Bude, Padstow and Porthcothan areas. Overall, an average of 0.02 litter items m -2 per month were collected during the six year study, with Bude beaches (Summerleaze, Crooklets and Widemouth) the most impacted (0.03 ± 0.004 litter items m -2 per month). The amount of litter collected each month decreased by 18% and 71% respectively for Padstow (Polzeath, Trevone and Harlyn) and Bude areas over the 6 years, possibly related to the regular cleaning, however litter increased by 120% despite this monthly cleaning effort on the Padstow area beaches. Importantly, at all nine beaches the litter was dominated by small, fragmented plastic pieces and rope fibres, which account for 32% and 17% of all litter items collected, respectively. The weathered nature of these plastics indicates they have been in the marine environment for an extended period of time. So, whilst classifying the original source of these plastics is not possible, it can be concluded they are not the result of recent public littering. This data highlights both the extent of the marine litter problem and that current efforts to reduce littering by beach users will only tackle a fraction of this litter. Such information is vital for developing effective management strategies for beach and marine litter at both regional and global levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Internal structure of a barrier beach as revealed by ground penetrating radar (GPR): Chesil beach, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Matthew R.; Cassidy, Nigel J.; Pile, Jeremy

2009-03-01

Chesil Beach (Dorset) is one of the most famous coastal landforms on the British coast. The gravel beach is over 18 km long and is separated for much of its length from land by a tidal lagoon known as The Fleet. The beach links the Isle of Portland in the east to the mainland in the west. Despite its iconic status there is little available information on its internal geometry and evolutionary history. Here we present a three-fold model for the evolution of Chesil Beach based on a series of nine ground penetrating radar (GPR) traverses located at three sites along its length at Abbotsbury, Langton Herring and at Ferry Bridge. The GPR traverses reveal a remarkably consistent picture of the internal structure of this barrier beach. The first phase of evolution involves the landward transgression of a small sand and gravel beach which closed upon the coast leading to deposition of freshwater peat between 5 and 7 k yr BP. The second evolutionary phase involves the 'bulking-out' of the beach during continued sea level rise, but in the presence of abundant gravel supplied by down-drift erosion of periglacial slope deposits. This episode of growth was associated with a series of washover fans which accumulated on the landward flank of the barrier increasing its breadth and height but without significant landward transgression of the barrier as a whole. The final phase in the evolution of Chesil Beach involves the seaward progradation of the beach crest and upper beach face associated with continued sediment abundance, but during a still-stand or slight fall in relative sea level. This phase may provide further evidence of a slight fall in relative sea level noted elsewhere along the South Coast of Britain and dated to between 1.2 and 2.4 k yr BP. Subsequently the barrier appears to have become largely inactive, except for the reworking of sediment on the beach face during storm events. The case study not only refines the evolutionary picture of Chesil Beach, but

Basic Remote Sensing Investigations for Beach Reconnaissance.

DTIC Science & Technology

Progress is reported on three tasks designed to develop remote sensing beach reconnaissance techniques applicable to the benthic, beach intertidal...and beach upland zones. Task 1 is designed to develop remote sensing indicators of important beach composition and physical parameters which will...ultimately prove useful in models to predict beach conditions. Task 2 is designed to develop remote sensing techniques for survey of bottom features in

Canaveral Harbor, Florida, Integrated Section 203 Navigation Study Report and Final Environmental Assessment. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-01

source of nutrition for juvenile green sea turtles. The beaches and spoil areas may also be utilized by nesting and foraging shorebirds including the...include the upper west coast of Florida, the northwestern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, the south coast of Cuba, the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua...1997. Foraging ecology and nutrition of sea turtles. Pages 199-233 In: Lutz, P.L. and J.A. Musick, eds., The Biology of Sea Turtles. CRC Press, New

Beach Cusps: Spatial distribution and time evolution at Massaguaçú beach (SP), Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

dos Santos, H. H.; Siegle, E.; Sousa, P. H.

2013-05-01

Beach cusps are crescentic morphological structures observed on the foreshore of beaches characterized by steep seaward protruding extensions, called cusp horns, and gently sloped landward extensions, called cusp embayments. Their formation depends on the grain size, beach slope, tidal range and incoming waves. Cusps are best developed on gravel or shingle beaches, small tidal range with a large slope for incoming waves generate a well-developed swash excursion. These structures are quickly responding to wave climate and tidal range, changing the position of the rhythmic features on the beach face. Beach cusps are favored by normal incoming waves, while oblique waves tend to wash these features out. This study aims to analyze the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of rhythmic features such as beach cusps in Massaguaçú embayment (Caraguatatuba, northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil). This embayment has an extension of 7.5 km with reflective beaches cusped mainly in its more exposed central portion. The data set for this study consists of a series of video images (Argus system), covering a stretch of the beach. Visible beach cusps were digitalized from these rectified images. Results obtained from the images were related to the wave climate, water level and the storm surges. Results show that the cusps on the upper portion of the foreshore were more regular and present than the cusps on the lower portion of the foreshore due to the tidal modulation of wave action. The cusp spacing on the upper portion of the foreshore is of about 38 m and the lower portion of the foreshore is of about 28 m and their presence was correlated with the wave direction and water elevation. As expected, waves approaching with shore-normal angles (southeast direction) were favorable to the formation of beach cusps while the waves from the southwest, south, east and northeast generated a longshore current that reduced or destroyed any rhythmic feature. Other important forcing was

Beach Nourishment Techniques. Report 3. Typical U.S. Beach Nourishment Projects Using Offshore Sand Deposits.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-05-01

Cooperative Beach Erosion Control Project at Presque Isle Peninsula, Erie , Pennsylvania ," Buffalo, N. Y. U. S. Army Engineer District, Charleston. 1963 (Mar...104 Presque Isle , Pa .. .. ..................... 109 REFERENCES .. ............................ 115 2A BEACH NOURISHMENT...RIVER COUNTY, FL T PRESQUE ISLE . PA Figure 1. Beach fill projects location map ...../ ...... studies have been authorized, or which are publicly owned

International Symposium on the Biology and Management of Aquatic Plants Held in Daytona Beach, Florida on 12-16 July 1992, Volume 31

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

S. A. 1986. Effects of dalapon and glyphosate on Imperata cylindrica (L) Beauv. at different growth stages. MARDI Res. Bull. achieved. In addition...limiting the distribution of cogongrass, lmperata cylindrica , and torpe- the biology of Pancurm repens L. I. Comparative morphological dograss, Panic=n

Can Beach Cleans Do More Than Clean-Up Litter? Comparing Beach Cleans to Other Coastal Activities

PubMed Central

Wyles, Kayleigh J.; Pahl, Sabine; Holland, Matthew; Thompson, Richard C.

2016-01-01

Coastal visits not only provide psychological benefits but can also contribute to the accumulation of rubbish. Volunteer beach cleans help address this issue, but may only have limited, local impact. Consequently, it is important to study any broader benefits associated with beach cleans. This article examines the well-being and educational value of beach cleans, as well as their impacts on individuals’ behavioral intentions. We conducted an experimental study that allocated students (n = 90) to a beach cleaning, rock pooling, or walking activity. All three coastal activities were associated with positive mood and pro-environmental intentions. Beach cleaning and rock pooling were associated with higher marine awareness. The unique impacts of beach cleaning were that they were rated as most meaningful but linked to lower restorativeness ratings of the environment compared with the other activities. This research highlights the interplay between environment and activities, raising questions for future research on the complexities of person-environment interactions. PMID:28546642

Sediment loads in canals 18, 23, and 24 in southeastern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitt, William A. J.

1971-01-01

Suspended-sediment concentrations and suspended-sediment discharges were determined in selected canals in St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach Counties, in southeastern Florida. Sediment rating curves were developed to relate water discharge to sediment concentration at the three sites sampled. An evaluation of the concentration and sediment loads shows that larger amounts of suspended sediment were being carried into the St. Lucie River estuary than were being carried into the Loxahatchee River estuary. Peat and muck soils in areas drained for agricultural planting and citrus cultivation are readily carried by runoff water into major canals that traverse the region.

Archive of digital boomer subbottom data collected during USGS cruise 05FGS01 offshore east-central Florida, July 17-29, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Forde, Arnell S.; Dadisman, Shawn V.; Wiese, Dana S.; Phelps, Daniel C.

2012-01-01

In July of 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Florida Geological Survey (FGS), conducted a geophysical survey of the Atlantic Ocean offshore of Florida's east coast from Flagler Beach to Daytona Beach. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital boomer subbottom data, trackline maps, navigation files, Geographic Information System (GIS) files, Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. Filtered and gained (showing a relative increase in signal amplitude) digital images of the seismic profiles are also provided. Refer to the Acronyms page for expansions of acronyms and abbreviations used in this report. The USGS Saint Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) assigns a unique identifier to each cruise or field activity. For example, 05FGS01 tells us the data were collected in 2005 for cooperative work with the FGS and the data were collected during the first field activity for that project in that calendar year. Refer to http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/infobank/programs/html/definition/activity.html for a detailed description of the method used to assign the field activity ID. The boomer subbottom processing system consists of an acoustic energy source that is made up of capacitors charged to a high voltage and discharged through a transducer in the water. The transducer is towed on a sled floating on the water surface and when discharged emits a short acoustic pulse, or shot, which propagates through the water column and shallow stratrigraphy below. The acoustic energy is reflected at density boundaries (such as the seafloor or sediment layers beneath the seafloor), detected by the receiver (a hydrophone streamer), and recorded by a PC-based seismic acquisition system. This process is repeated at timed intervals (for example, 0.5 s) and recorded for specific intervals of time (for example, 100 ms). In this way, a two-dimensional (2-D) vertical image of

78 FR 35596 - Special Local Regulation; Long Beach Regatta, Powerboat Race, Atlantic Ocean, Long Beach, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-13

... 1625-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Long Beach Regatta, Powerboat Race, Atlantic Ocean, Long Beach, NY... the Long Beach Regatta Powerboat Race scheduled for August 24-25, 2013. This action is necessary to...) 165.158 for the Battle on the Bay Powerboat Race. No comments or requests for public meeting were...

Study of beach cusps via high resolution TLS acquisitions on the pocket beach of Porsmilin (Brittany)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chabrol, C.; Jaud, M.; Delacourt, C.; Allemand, P.; Augereau, E.; Cuq, V.

2011-12-01

Beach cusps are rhythmic shoreline features made up of series of horns and embayments. Their build-up occurs in specific conditions (steep beachface, low-energy wave conditions...). These features can notably be characterized by the cusp spacing λ and their prominence ɛ (difference in beachface gradient between embayment and horn). At present, two main theories confront to explain the formation of such features on natural beaches : standing edge waves (special class of waves propagating longshore) and self-organisation hypothesis. - Standing edge wave theory proposes that the superimposition of incident waves and standing edge waves generates longshore variations of swash height linked with the position of edge wave nodes and anti-nodes. These variations of swash height result in regular zones of erosion. Depending on the context, different types of edge-waves may occur. The predicted beach cusp spacing is : λ = (g T^2 tanβ) / π for a sub-harmonic edge wave model λ = (g T^2 tanβ) / 2π for a synchronous edge wave model with : λ : beach cusp spacing (m) g : gravitational acceleration (9.81 m/s) T : incident wave period (s) tanβ : beach gradient - Self-organisation theory suggests that a combination of interactions and feedbacks between swash flow and beach topography leads to the growth of morphologic irregularities of a given wavelength (because of flow divergence or convergence), resulting in beach cusp formation and maintaining. The predicted beach cusp spacing is then : λ = f S with : λ : beach cusp spacing (m) S : horizontal extent of the swash flow (m) f : empirical constant (~1.5) Three multitemporal Terrestrial Laser Scan acquisitions have been carried out for three consecutive days on the sandy beach of Porsmilin (Brittany, France) with a spatial resolution varying from few centimetres to few metres. Moreover the hydrodynamic conditions have been obtained thanks to the Previmer project website (http://www.previmer.org/), notably based on Wave

Sequential monitoring of beach litter using webcams.

PubMed

Kako, Shin'ichiro; Isobe, Atsuhiko; Magome, Shinya

2010-05-01

This study attempts to establish a system for the sequential monitoring of beach litter using webcams placed at the Ookushi beach, Goto Islands, Japan, to establish the temporal variability in the quantities of beach litter every 90 min over a one and a half year period. The time series of the quantities of beach litter, computed by counting pixels with a greater lightness than a threshold value in photographs, shows that litter does not increase monotonically on the beach, but fluctuates mainly on a monthly time scale or less. To investigate what factors influence this variability, the time derivative of the quantity of beach litter is compared with satellite-derived wind speeds. It is found that the beach litter quantities vary largely with winds, but there may be other influencing factors. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acropora corals in Florida: status, trends, conservation, and prospects for recovery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Margaret W.; Jaap, Walt C.; Chiappone, Mark; Vargas-Angel, Bernardo; Keller, Brian; Aronson, Richard B.; Shinn, Eugene A.; Bruckner, Andrew W.

2003-01-01

Despite representing the northern extent of Acropora spp. in the Caribbean, most of the Florida reef line from Palm Beach through the Keys was built by these species. Climatic factors appear to have bee important agents of Acropora loss within historic (century) time frames. In the recent past (1980-present), available quantitative evidence suggests dramatic declines occurred in A. cervicornis first (late 70's to 84) with collapse of A. palmata occuring later (1981-86). However, recent monitoring studies (1996-2001) show continued decline of remnant populations of A. palmata. Current trends in A. cervicornis in the Florida Keys are hard to assess given its exceedingly low abundance, except in Broward County, FL where recently discovered A. cervicornis thickets are thriving. While the State of Florida recognizes A. palmata and A. cervicornis as endangered species (Deyrup and Franz 1994), this designation carries no management implications. The current management plan of the FKNMS provides many strategies for coral conservation, among them minimizing the threat of vessel groundings and anchor damage, and prohibitions on collection, touching, and damage from fishery and recreational users. Although Acropopra spp. are not explicitly given any special consideration, they are implicitly by Santuary management. Restoration approaches undertaken in the Florida Keys include rescue of fragments damaged by groudings and experimental work to culture broadcast-spawned larvae to re-seed natural substrates. Neither of these efforts have yet realized full success.

An holistic approach to beach erosion vulnerability assessment.

PubMed

Alexandrakis, George; Poulos, Serafim Ε

2014-08-15

Erosion is a major threat for coasts worldwide, beaches in particular, which constitute one of the most valuable coastal landforms. Vulnerability assessments related to beach erosion may contribute to planning measures to counteract erosion by identifying, quantifying and ranking vulnerability. Herein, we present a new index, the Beach Vulnerability Index (BVI), which combines simplicity in calculations, easily obtainable data and low processing capacity. This approach provides results not only for different beaches, but also for different sectors of the same beach and enables the identification of the relative significance of the processes involved. It functions through the numerical approximation of indicators that correspond to the mechanisms related to the processes that control beach evolution, such as sediment availability, wave climate, beach morhodynamics and sea level change. The BVI is also intended to be used as a managerial tool for beach sustainability, including resilience to climate change impact on beach erosion.

The Early Childhood Cluster Initiative of Palm Beach County, Florida. Early Implementation Study and Evaluability Assessment. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spielberger, Julie; Goyette, Paul

2006-01-01

This report summarizes findings from the first year of an implementation study of the Early Childhood Cluster Initiative (ECCI). ECCI is a prekindergarten program in ten elementary schools and a community child care center in Palm Beach County, based on the design of the High/Scope Perry Preschool model. The initiative is characterized by low…

Depositional settings of sand beaches along whitewater rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vincent, K.R.; Andrews, E.D.

2008-01-01

The numbers and sizes of sand beaches suitable for recreation along selected whitewater rivers in the western United States depend on sand concentrations, range of discharge and the size, frequency and type of depositional settings. River-width expansions downstream from constrictions are the predominant depositional setting for sand beaches in the upper Grand Canyon and along five Wild and Scenic Rivers in Idaho, but not along other rivers. Beaches located upstream from constrictions are rare, in general, except in the Grand Canyon. Beaches found in expansions without constrictions dominate depositional sites along the Yampa and Green Rivers, are fairly common along the rivers in Idaho, but are relatively rare in the Grand Canyon. The magnitude of flow expansion is a reliable predictor of beach size. Beaches located on the inside of curves are uncommon, in general, but can be important recreation sites. The mid-channel bar setting is the least important from a recreation standpoint because that setting is rare and beaches there are typically small, and emergent only at low flow. The frequency of beaches is highly variable among rivers and the concentration of sand in transport is only partially responsible. Of the rivers studied, the unregulated Yampa River carries the highest concentrations of suspended sand and has among the most beaches (1.2 beaches km-1). Emergent sand beaches are essentially nonexistent along the Deschutes River and are rare along other Oregon rivers, yet these rivers transport some sand. Sand beaches are fairly common (0.8-1.1 beaches km-1) along the regulated Colorado River, but are comparatively rare (0.6 beaches km-1) along the unregulated Middle Fork Salmon River. The suspended sand concentrations in study reaches of these two rivers are similar, and the difference in the frequency of beaches may be largely because the processes that create beach-deposition settings are less active along the Middle Fork Salmon.

Storm recovery on two Italian coarse-grained beaches: a comparison between a mixed sand and gravel and a pebble beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertoni, Duccio; Grottoli, Edoardo; Ciavola, Paolo; Sarti, Giovanni; Pozzebon, Alessandro

2014-05-01

High energy events emphasize beach erosion processes, sometimes leading to huge volume deficits not balanced by recovery under fair-weather conditions. In this scenario, artificial replenishments are frequently used as a form of coastal protection with large volumes of sediments re-injected in the system without strongly altering the environment as it happens with hard structures. Since climate change is expected to accentuate in the near future erosion effects, the need to artificially feed beaches is likely to increase. Gravel and pebbles are more and more often used as beach fill, on some occasions replacing sandy sediments. That was the case for two beaches located at either sides of the Italian Peninsula (Portonovo, Adriatic Sea; Marina di Pisa, Ligurian Sea), which constitute the study area of the present research. Portonovo is a 500 m-long mixed sand and gravel beach with a significant pebble-sized content (about 40%), unloaded on the beach during multiple replenishments. Marina di Pisa is an artificial, 180 m-long beach, mainly composed of 40-to-90 mm pebbles; it was built in 2008 as a part of a larger protection scheme. Groins or headlands that prevent any sediment exchange with adjacent areas bound both beaches. Periodic topographic surveys were carried out to evaluate the response of these human-altered beaches to high-energy events. The topographic surveys, undertaken with a DGPS-RTK instrument along cross-shore transects (from the landward end of the backshore to about 1.5 m depth seaward), were done following intense storm events occurred during the time period of the research. Transects were done out every 10 m along the entire length of the beaches. Prior to the first topographic survey, a sediment tracing experiment was set up as a form of control of the results provided by the geomorphologic analysis. Pebbles directly sampled from the beaches were marked by means of the RFID technology and injected back all along the beachface. As expected

A multi-beach study of Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, and enterococci in seawater and beach sand.

PubMed

Goodwin, Kelly D; McNay, Melody; Cao, Yiping; Ebentier, Darcy; Madison, Melissa; Griffith, John F

2012-09-01

Incidences of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) have risen worldwide prompting a need to better understand routes of human exposure and whether standard bacterial water quality monitoring practices adequately account for this potential threat. Beach water and sand samples were analyzed during summer months for S. aureus, enterococci, and MRSA at three southern California beaches (Avalon, Doheny, Malibu Surfrider). S. aureus frequently was detected in samples of seawater (59%, n = 328) and beach sand (53%, n = 358). MRSA sometimes was detected in seawater (1.6%, n = 366) and sand (2.7%, n = 366) at relatively low concentrations. Site specific differences were observed, with Avalon Beach presenting the highest concentrations of S. aureus and Malibu Surfrider the lowest in both seawater and sand. S. aureus concentrations in seawater and sand were correlated to each other and to a variety of other parameters. Multiple linear regression on the combined beach data indicated that significant explanatory variables for S. aureus in seawater were S. aureus in sand, water temperature, enterococci in seawater, and the number of swimmers. In sand, S. aureus concentrations were related to S. aureus in seawater, water temperature, enterococci in seawater, and inversely to surf height classification. Only the correlation to water temperature held for individually analyzed beaches and for S. aureus concentrations in both seawater and sand. To provide context for these results, the prevalence of S. aureus in sand was compared to published fomite studies, and results suggested that beach prevalence was similar to that in homes. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Investigating the Geomorphic Behavior of the Cape Canaveral Coast Through High-Resolution Beach Monitoring, Sediment Analysis, Oceanographic Observations, and Numerical Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, P. N.; Jaeger, J. M.; MacKenzie, R. A.; Kline, S. W.; Maibauer, B. J.; Plant, N. G.; Gravens, M. B.; Pierro, T. P.; Shaffer, J.

2011-12-01

The salient of Cape Canaveral interrupts a relatively straight, sandy, passive margin coastline that extends nearly 400 km from the St. Johns River mouth to the St. Lucie Inlet along the Florida Atlantic coast. OSL dating indicates that the modern cape has been prograding rapidly since the LGM and subtle topographic features, inland from the modern cape, suggest that this salient has persisted over several sea level cycles since the early Pleistocene. Dynamic shoreline change over the past decade at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is threatening critical NASA infrastructure and has prompted officials to develop a mitigation strategy through a partnership among researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, private coastal engineering firms, and the University of Florida. Since May 2009, the research team has assembled data on decadal to event-scale shoreline change (dGPS), beach and nearshore morphodynamics (dGPS and Argus), beach sedimentary character (grain size analysis), wave climate and transformation (ADCP), and inner shelf bathymetry (Echo Sounding) in an effort to assess dune vulnerability and flooding risk. In addition, SWAN numerical modeling simulations offer insight into the influence of irregular bathymetry (cape-associated shoals) on the alteration of spatial patterns of wave energy flux during a decadal shift in deep-water wave climate. Beach-fx, modeling of cross-shore profile evolution is being applied to evaluate the performance of alternative protective measures, estimate project costs, and examine ecological influences of the proposed alternative protective measures. By combining contemporaneous data of coastal geomorphic and sedimentary response to wave forcing with numerical model results that explore a range of climate scenarios, we aim to develop a useful understanding of the coastal geomorphic behavior at KSC that can be used to make a mitigation recommendation.

Beach monitoring criteria: reading the fine print

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nevers, Meredith B.; Whitman, Richard L.

2011-01-01

Beach monitoring programs aim to decrease swimming-related illnesses resulting from exposure to harmful microbes in recreational waters, while providing maximum beach access. Managers are advised by the U.S. EPA to estimate microbiological water quality based on a 5-day geometric mean of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) concentrations or on a jurisdiction-specific single-sample maximum; however, most opt instead to apply a default single-sample maximum to ease application. We examined whether re-evaluation of the U.S. EPA ambient water quality criteria (AWQC) and the epidemiological studies on which they are based could increase public beach access without affecting presumed health risk. Single-sample maxima were calculated using historic monitoring data for 50 beaches along coastal Lake Michigan on various temporal and spatial groupings to assess flexibility in the application of the AWQC. No calculation on either scale was as low as the default maximum (235 CFU/100 mL) that managers typically use, indicating that current applications may be more conservative than the outlined AWQC. It was notable that beaches subject to point source FIB contamination had lower variation, highlighting the bias in the standards for these beaches. Until new water quality standards are promulgated, more site-specific application of the AWQC may benefit beach managers by allowing swimmers greater access to beaches. This issue will be an important consideration in addressing the forthcoming beach monitoring standards.

Characterization of microplastic and mesoplastic debris in sediments from Kamilo Beach and Kahuku Beach, Hawai'i.

PubMed

Young, Alan M; Elliott, James A

2016-12-15

Sediment samples were collected from two Hawai'ian beaches, Kahuku Beach on O'ahu and Kamilo Beach on the Big Island of Hawai'i. A total of 48,988 large microplastic and small mesoplastic (0.5-8mm) particles were handpicked from the samples and sorted into four size classes (0.5-1mm, 1-2mm, 2-4mm, 4-8mm) and nine color categories. For all sizes combined the most common plastic fragment color was white/transparent (71.8%) followed by blue (8.5%), green (7.5%), black/grey (7.3%), red/pink (2.6%), yellow (1.2%), orange (0.6%), brown (0.3%) and purple (0.2%). Color frequency distribution based on both numbers and mass of particles was not significantly different among the various size classes nor between the two beaches. White and black/grey resin pellets accounted for 11.3% of the particles collected from Kahuku Beach and 4.2% of the particles from Kamilo Beach. Plastic type based on Raman Spectrometer analysis of a small representative subsample indicated that most of the fragments were polyethylene and a few were polypropylene. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of potential sources and transport mechanisms of fecal indicator bacteria to beach water, Murphy Park Beach, Door County, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juckem, Paul F.; Corsi, Steven R.; McDermott, Colleen; Kleinheinz, Gregory; Fogarty, Lisa R.; Haack, Sheridan K.; Johnson, Heather E.

2013-01-01

Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB) concentrations in beach water have been used for many years as a criterion for closing beaches due to potential health concerns. Yet, current understanding of sources and transport mechanisms that drive FIB occurrence remains insufficient for accurate prediction of closures at many beaches. Murphy Park Beach, a relatively pristine beach on Green Bay in Door County, Wis., was selected for a study to evaluate FIB sources and transport mechanisms. Although the relatively pristine nature of the beach yielded no detection of pathogenic bacterial genes and relatively low FIB concentrations during the study period compared with other Great Lakes Beaches, its selection limited the number of confounding FIB sources and associated transport mechanisms. The primary sources of FIB appear to be internal to the beach rather than external sources such as rivers, storm sewer outfalls, and industrial discharges. Three potential FIB sources were identified: sand, swash-zone groundwater, and Cladophora mats. Modest correlations between FIB concentrations in these potential source reservoirs and FIB concentrations at the beach from the same day illustrate the importance of understanding transport mechanisms between FIB sources and the water column. One likely mechanism for transport and dispersion of FIB from sand and Cladophora sources appears to be agitation of Cladophora mats and erosion of beach sand due to storm activity, as inferred from storm indicators including turbidity, wave height, current speed, wind speed, sky visibility, 24-hour precipitation, and suspended particulate concentration. FIB concentrations in beach water had a statistically significant relation (p-value ‹0.05) with the magnitude of these storm indicators. In addition, transport of FIB in swash-zone groundwater into beach water appears to be driven by groundwater recharge associated with multiday precipitation and corresponding increased swash-zone groundwater discharge at

Landing Techniques in Beach Volleyball

PubMed Central

Tilp, Markus; Rindler, Michael

2013-01-01

The aims of the present study were to establish a detailed and representative record of landing techniques (two-, left-, and right-footed landings) in professional beach volleyball and compare the data with those of indoor volleyball. Beach volleyball data was retrieved from videos taken at FIVB World Tour tournaments. Landing techniques were compared in the different beach and indoor volleyball skills serve, set, attack, and block with regard to sex, playing technique, and court position. Significant differences were observed between men and women in landings following block actions (χ2(2) = 18.19, p < 0.01) but not following serve, set, and attack actions. Following blocking, men landed more often on one foot than women. Further differences in landings following serve and attack with regard to playing technique and position were mainly observed in men. The comparison with landing techniques in indoor volleyball revealed overall differences both in men (χ2(2) = 161.4, p < 0.01) and women (χ2(2) = 84.91, p < 0.01). Beach volleyball players land more often on both feet than indoor volleyball players. Besides the softer surface in beach volleyball, and therefore resulting lower loads, these results might be another reason for fewer injuries and overuse conditions compared to indoor volleyball. Key Points About 1/3 of all jumping actions in beach volleyball result in a landing on one foot. Especially following block situations men land on one foot more often than women. Landing techniques are related to different techniques and positions. Landings on one foot are less common in beach volleyball than indoor volleyball. This could be a reason for fewer injuries and overuse conditions. PMID:24149150

Beach dynamics and nest distribution of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) at Grande Riviere Beach, Trinidad & Tobago.

PubMed

Lum, Lori Lee

2005-05-01

Grande Riviere Beach in Trinidad and Tobago is an important nesting site in the Caribbean for the Critically Endangered leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea. Community members were concerned that beach erosion and seasonal river flooding were destroying many of the nests deposited annually and thought that a hatchery was a possible solution. Over the 2001 turtle nesting season, the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) assessed the spatial and temporal distribution of nests using the Global Positioning System recorded to reference points, and beach dynamics using permanent bench mark profile stations, to determine areas of high risk and more stable areas for nesting. A total of 1449 leatherback nests were positioned. It was evident that at the start of the season in March, the majority of leatherback nests were deposited at the eastern section of the beach. After May, there was a continuing westward shift in nest distribution as the season progressed until August and beach erosion in the eastern section became predominant. The backshore remained relatively stable along the entire beach throughout the nesting season, and erosion was predominant in the foreshore at the eastern section of the beach, from the middle to the end of the season. Similar trends in accretion and erosion were observed in 2000. River flooding did not occur during the study period or in the previous year. With both high risk and more stable regions for turtle nesting available at Grande Riviere Beach, there was no compelling evidence to justify the need for a hatchery.

Beach-goer behavior during a retrospectively detected algal bloom at a Great Lakes beach

EPA Science Inventory

Algal blooms occur among nutrient rich, warm surface waters and may adversely impact recreational beaches. During July – September 2003, a prospective study of beachgoers was conducted on weekends at a public beach on a Great Lake in the United States. We measured each beac...

Predictive Modeling of Microbial Indicators for Timely Beach Notifications and Advisories at Marine Beaches

EPA Science Inventory

Marine beaches are occasionally contaminated by unacceptably high levels of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) that exceed EPA water quality criteria. Here we describe application of a recent version of the software package Virtual Beach tool (VB 3.0.6) to build and evaluate multiple...

Beach Advisory and Closing Online Notification (BEACON) system

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Beach Advisory and Closing Online Notification system (BEACON) is a colletion of state and local data reported to EPA about beach closings and advisories. BEACON is the public-facing query of the Program tracking, Beach Advisories, Water quality standards, and Nutrients database (PRAWN) which tracks beach closing and advisory information.

Mortality associated with Hurricane Katrina--Florida and Alabama, August-October 2005.

PubMed

2006-03-10

On August 25, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall between Hallandale Beach and Aventura, Florida, as a Category 1 hurricane, with sustained winds of 80 mph. Storm effects, primarily rain, flooding, and high winds, were substantial; certain areas reported nearly 12 inches of rainfall. After crossing southern Florida and entering the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane strengthened and made landfall in southeastern Louisiana on August 29 as a Category 3 hurricane, with sustained winds of 125 mph. Katrina was one of the strongest hurricanes to strike the United States during the past 100 years and was likely the nation's costliest natural disaster to date. This report summarizes findings and recommendations from a review of mortality records of Florida's Medical Examiners Commission (FMEC) and the Alabama Department of Forensic Science (ADFS). CDC was invited by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) and the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) to assess the mortality related to Hurricane Katrina. The mortality review was intended to provide county-based information that would be used to 1) define the impact of the hurricane, 2) describe the etiology of deaths, and 3) identify strategies to prevent or reduce future hurricane-related mortality. Combined, both agencies identified five, 23, and 10 deaths, respectively, that were directly, indirectly, or possibly related to Hurricane Katrina. Information from the characterization of these deaths will be used to reduce hurricane-related mortality through early community awareness of hurricane-related risk, prevention measures, and effective communication of a coordinated hurricane response plan.

High-Resolution Measurement of Beach Morphological Response to Hurricane-Induced Wave Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starek, M.; Slatton, K. C.; Adams, P.

2005-12-01

During the Atlantic hurricane season of 2004, the Florida Pan Handle, Gulf Coast region, was impacted directly by three major hurricanes within approximately a one-month time period. The short temporal span between impacts coupled with the sudden increase in wave energy delivered to the coast resulted in drastic changes to the coastal morphology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct effects of deep-water wave climate and energy setups induced by the hurricanes and relate those processes to the observed change in shoreline morphology. The availability of research-grade Airborne Laser Swath Mapping (ALSM) altimetry data, often referred to as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data, enabled sub-meter spatial sampling of the coastal topography. The ALSM data were acquired by the University of Florida's Geosensing Engineering and Mapping (GEM) Center. Offshore wave measurements were obtained from the NOAA NDBC buoy network for the Gulf Coast region. The ALSM data acquired shortly before and after the three major hurricane landfalls near the Phillips Inlet barrier island region of Bay County, Florida, were used to calculate changes in the shoreline position and identify regions of erosion and deposition. Time series data of offshore wave height, period, and direction were transformed, through shoaling and refraction calculations, to nearshore wave conditions which were correlated to observed changes in beach morphology. Hurricane wave conditions drove severe shoreline retreat on the west-side of the inlet (~15+ meters) but affected the east-side shoreline minimally. The eastern backside of the inlet, however, witnessed a significant volume of washover sediment.

Summary of Annual Beach Notifications

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

To help beachgoers make informed decisions about swimming at U.S. beaches, EPA gathers state-by-state data about beach closings and advisories. Between 1999 and 2012, EPA published a national summary report about the previous year's swimming season data.

Assessing the Impact of Urban Runoff in Recreational Beaches in South Carolina and Florida Using Culturable and QPCR Fecal Indicator

EPA Science Inventory

Urban/suburban runoff carries a variety of pollutants that often includes bacterial pathogens and indicators of fecal contamination. The objective of this study was to assess the microbial water quality of recreational beaches impacted solely by urban runoff through the use of cu...

Human Health at the Beach

MedlinePlus

... wade or swim without putting your head under water. Recent research in epidemiology EPA has also linked digging in beach sand to an increased risk of gastrointestinal illness. Other Beach Safety Topics Beyond water pollution, there are other potential threats to human ...

The influence of anthropic actions on the evolution of an urban beach: Case study of Marineta Cassiana beach, Spain.

PubMed

Pagán, J I; Aragonés, L; Tenza-Abril, A J; Pallarés, P

2016-07-15

Coastal areas have been historically characterized as being a source of wealth. Nowadays, beaches have become more relevant as a place for rest and leisure. This had led to a very high population pressure due to rapid urbanisation processes. The impacts associated with coastal tourism, demand the development of anthropic actions to protect the shoreline. This paper has studied the impacts of these actions on the Marineta Cassiana beach, in Denia, Spain. This particular Mediterranean beach has traditionally suffered a major shoreline regression, and the beach nourishments carried out in the 1980s would not have achieved the reliability desired. This research has analysed the historic evolution of the beach and its environment for a period of 65years (1950-2015). A Geographic Information System (GIS) has been used to integrate and perform a spatial analysis of urban development, soil erosion, stream flow, swell, longshore transport, submerged vegetation species and shoreline evolution. The results show how the anthropic actions have affected the shoreline. After the excessive urban development of the catchments, there is no natural sediment supply to the beach. The change in the typology of the sediment, from pebbles to sand, during the beach nourishments has led to a crucial imbalance in the studied area. Moreover, the beach area gained has disappeared, affecting the Posidonia oceanica meadow, and incrementing the erosion rates. The findings obtained are relevant, not only in the management and maintenance of the beaches, but also, in the decision-making for future nourishments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wave Overtopping of a Barrier Beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornton, E. B.; Laudier, N.; Macmahan, J. H.

2009-12-01

The rate of wave overtopping of a barrier beach is measured and modeled as a first step in modeling the breaching of a beach impounding an ephemeral river. Unique rate of wave overtopping data are obtained from the measure of the Carmel River, California, lagoon filling during a time when the lagoon is closed-off and there is no river inflow. Volume changes are calculated from measured lagoon height changes owing to wave overtopping by a stage-volume curve, then center differenced and averaged to provide volume rates of change in the lagoon. Wave height and period are obtained from CDIP MOPS directional wave spectra data in 15m fronting the beach. Beach morphology was measured by GPS walking surveys and interpolated for beach slopes and berm heights. Three empirical overtopping models by van der Meer and Janssen (1995), Hedges and Reis (1998) and Pullen et al. (2007) with differing parameterizations on wave height, period and beach slope and calibrated using extensive laboratory data obtained over plane, impermeable beaches are compared with the data. In addition, the run-up model by Stockdon et al. (2006) based on field data is examined. Three wave overtopping storm events are considered when morphology data were available less than 2 weeks prior to the event. The models are tuned to fit the data using a reduction factor to account for beach permeability, berm characteristics, non-normal wave incidence and surface roughness influence. It is concluded that the Stockdon et al. (2006) model underestimates run-up as no overtopping is predicted with this model. The three empirical overtopping models behaved similarly well with regression coefficients ranging 0.72 to 0.86 using a reasonable range of reduction factors 0.66 - 0.81 with an average of 0.74.

A method for determining average beach slope and beach slope variability for U.S. sandy coastlines

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doran, Kara S.; Long, Joseph W.; Overbeck, Jacquelyn R.

2015-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Assessment of Hurricane-Induced Coastal Erosion Hazards compares measurements of beach morphology with storm-induced total water levels to produce forecasts of coastal change for storms impacting the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coastlines of the United States. The wave-induced water level component (wave setup and swash) is estimated by using modeled offshore wave height and period and measured beach slope (from dune toe to shoreline) through the empirical parameterization of Stockdon and others (2006). Spatial and temporal variability in beach slope leads to corresponding variability in predicted wave setup and swash. For instance, seasonal and storm-induced changes in beach slope can lead to differences on the order of 1 meter (m) in wave-induced water level elevation, making accurate specification of this parameter and its associated uncertainty essential to skillful forecasts of coastal change. A method for calculating spatially and temporally averaged beach slopes is presented here along with a method for determining total uncertainty for each 200-m alongshore section of coastline.

Monitoring beach changes using GPS surveying techniques

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, Robert; Leach, Mark P.; Paine, Jeffrey G.; Cardoza, Michael A.

1993-01-01

The adaptation of Global Positioning System (GPS) surveying techniques to beach monitoring activities is a promising response to this challenge. An experiment that employed both GPS and conventional beach surveying was conducted, and a new beach monitoring method employing kinematic GPS surveys was devised. This new method involves the collection of precise shore-parallel and shore-normal GPS positions from a moving vehicle so that an accurate two-dimensional beach surface can be generated. Results show that the GPS measurements agree with conventional shore-normal surveys at the 1 cm level, and repeated GPS measurements employing the moving vehicle demonstrate a precision of better than 1 cm. In addition, the nearly continuous sampling and increased resolution provided by the GPS surveying technique reveals alongshore changes in beach morphology that are undetected by conventional shore-normal profiles. The application of GPS surveying techniques combined with the refinement of appropriate methods for data collection and analysis provides a better understanding of beach changes, sediment transport, and storm impacts.

Water withdrawals, use, and trends in Florida, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marella, Richard L.

2014-01-01

In 2010, the total amount of water withdrawn in Florida was estimated to be 14,988 million gallons per day (Mgal/d). Saline water accounted for 8,589 Mgal/d (57 percent) and freshwater accounted for 6,399 Mgal/d (43 percent). Groundwater accounted for 4,166 Mgal/d (65 percent) of freshwater withdrawals, and surface water accounted for the remaining 2,233 Mgal/d (35 percent). Surface water accounted for nearly all (99.9 percent) saline-water withdrawals. An additional 659 Mgal/d of reclaimed wastewater was used in Florida during 2010. Freshwater withdrawals were greatest in Palm Beach County (707 Mgal/d), and saline-water withdrawals were greatest in Hillsborough County (1,715 Mgal/d). Fresh groundwater provided drinking water (public supplied and self-supplied) for 17.33 million people (92 percent of Florida’s population), and fresh surface water provided drinking water for 1.47 million people (8 percent). The statewide public-supply gross per capita use for 2010 was 134 gallons per day, whereas the statewide public-supply domestic per capita use was 85 gallons per day. The majority of groundwater withdrawals (almost 62 percent) in 2010 were obtained from the Floridan aquifer system, which is present throughout most of the State. The majority of fresh surface-water withdrawals (56 percent) came from the southern Florida hydrologic unit subregion and is associated with Lake Okeechobee and the canals in the Everglades Agricultural Area of Glades, Hendry, and Palm Beach Counties, as well as the Caloosahatchee River and its tributaries in the agricultural areas of Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties. Overall, agricultural irrigation accounted for 40 percent of the total freshwater withdrawals (ground and surface), followed by public supply with 35 percent. Public supply accounted for 48 percent of groundwater withdrawals, followed by agricultural self-supplied (34 percent), commercial-industrial-mining self-supplied (7 percent), recreational

ASCANS Lunch at Beach House

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-04

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA astronaut candidate Andrew Morgan looks over the beach while standing at the Beach House at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Beach House is a traditional gathering place for astronauts before they fly into space. The astronaut class of 2013 was selected by NASA after an extensive year-and-a-half search. The new group will help the agency push the boundaries of exploration and travel to new destinations in the solar system. To learn more about the astronaut class of 2013, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013astroclass.html Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Impacts of Lake Level Regulation on Beaches and Boating Facilities--Lakes Erie and Ontario and Connecting Waterways. Recreation Beaches Inventory.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-18

feet, the crews were in- structed to take additional measurements. At very long beaches, such as at Presque Isle State Park, in Pennsylvania , the...REGULATION ON BEACHES AND BOATING FACILITIES- LAKES ERIE AND) ONTARIO AND CONNECTING WATERWAYS -I RECREATION BEACHES INVENTORY 3 December 18, 1979 Contract...CATALOG NUMBER 4. TITLE (and Subtitle) S. TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED Impacts of Lake Level Regulation on Beaches and Boating Facilities--Lake Erie and

Beach recovery capabilities after El Niño 2015-2016 at Ensenada Beach, Northern Baja California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz de Alegría-Arzaburu, Amaia; Vidal-Ruiz, Jesús Adrián

2018-05-01

This study investigates the recovery capabilities of a single-barred beach in the Pacific Mexican coast before and after the 2015-2016 El Niño winter. Concurrent hydrodynamic and morphological data collected over a 3-year period (August 2014-2017) were analysed to determine the subaerial-subtidal volumetric exchange and cross-shore subtidal sandbar migrations, in relation to the incident wave forcing. The beach presented a seasonal seaward and landward sandbar migration cycle. The sandbar migrated offshore during the energetic waves between November and February, and onshore during the milder wave period in spring, until welding to the subaerial beach around May. The transfer of sediment towards the subaerial section continued over the summer, reaching a complete recovery by September/October. Prior to El Niño, the subaerial beach successfully recovered by the end of summer 2015 through the landward sandbar migration process. The 2015-2016 energetic winter waves caused a subaerial volume loss of 140 m3 m-1 (from October 2015 to March 2016), more than twice the amount eroded in the other winters, and the sandbar moved further offshore and to deeper depths (3-4 m) than the winter before. In addition, the energetic 2015-2016 winter waves lasted for 2 months longer than in other years, making the 2016 spring shorter. Consequently, during the onshore migration, the sandbar was unable of reaching shallow depths, and a large portion of sand remained in the subtidal beach. The subaerial beach recovered 60 and 65% of the loss in the 2016 and 2017 summers, respectively. It is concluded that the landward migration process of the sandbar during the spring is critical to ensure a full subaerial beach recovery over the mild wave period in summer. The recovery capabilities of the subaerial beach will depend on the cross-shore distance and depth where the sandbar is located, and on the duration of mild wave conditions required for the sandbar to migrate onshore.

Geospatial characteristics of Florida's coastal and offshore environments: Coastal habitats, artificial reefs, wrecks, dumping grounds, harbor obstructions and offshore sand resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Foster, Ann M.; Jones, Michal L.; Gualtieri, Daniel J.

2011-01-01

The Geospatial Characteristics GeoPDF of Florida's Coastal and Offshore Environments is a comprehensive collection of geospatial data describing the political boundaries and natural resources of Florida. This interactive map provides spatial information on bathymetry, sand resources, coastal habitats, artificial reefs, shipwrecks, dumping grounds, and harbor obstructions. The map should be useful to coastal resource managers and others interested in marine habitats and submerged obstructions of Florida's coastal region. In particular, as oil and gas explorations continue to expand, the map may be used to explore information regarding sensitive areas and resources in the State of Florida. Users of this geospatial database will have access to synthesized information in a variety of scientific disciplines concerning Florida's coastal zone. This powerful tool provides a one-stop assembly of data that can be tailored to fit the needs of many natural resource managers. The map was originally developed to assist the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) and coastal resources managers with planning beach restoration projects. The BOEMRE uses a systematic approach in planning the development of submerged lands of the Continental Shelf seaward of Florida's territorial waters. Such development could affect the environment. BOEMRE is required to ascertain the existing physical, biological, and socioeconomic conditions of the submerged lands and estimate the impact of developing these lands. Data sources included the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, BOEMRE, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Geographic Data Library, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, and the State of Florida, Bureau of Archeological Research. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) compliant metadata are provided as attached xml files for all geographic information system (GIS) layers.

Do Tropical Cyclones Shape Shorebird Habitat Patterns? Biogeoclimatology of Snowy Plovers in Florida

PubMed Central

Convertino, Matteo; Elsner, James B.; Muñoz-Carpena, Rafael; Kiker, Gregory A.; Martinez, Christopher J.; Fischer, Richard A.; Linkov, Igor

2011-01-01

Background The Gulf coastal ecosystems in Florida are foci of the highest species richness of imperiled shoreline dependent birds in the USA. However environmental processes that affect their macroecological patterns, like occupancy and abundance, are not well unraveled. In Florida the Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) is resident along northern and western white sandy estuarine/ocean beaches and is considered a state-threatened species. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we show that favorable nesting areas along the Florida Gulf coastline are located in regions impacted relatively more frequently by tropical cyclones. The odds of Snowy Plover nesting in these areas during the spring following a tropical cyclone impact are seven times higher compared to the odds during the spring following a season without a cyclone. The only intensity of a tropical cyclone does not appear to be a significant factor affecting breeding populations. Conclusions/Significance Nevertheless a future climate scenario featuring fewer, but more extreme cyclones could result in a decrease in the breeding Snowy Plover population and its breeding range. This is because the spatio-temporal frequency of cyclone events was found to significantly affect nest abundance. Due to the similar geographic range and habitat suitability, and no decrease in nest abundance of other shorebirds in Florida after the cyclone season, our results suggest a common bioclimatic feedback between shorebird abundance and tropical cyclones in breeding areas which are affected by cyclones. PMID:21264268

Dune recovery after storm erosion on a high-energy beach: Vougot Beach, Brittany (France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suanez, Serge; Cariolet, Jean-Marie; Cancouët, Romain; Ardhuin, Fabrice; Delacourt, Christophe

2012-02-01

On 10th March 2008, the high energy storm Johanna hit the French Atlantic coast, generating severe dune erosion on Vougot Beach (Brittany, France). In this paper, the recovery of the dune of Vougot Beach is analysed through a survey of morphological changes and hydrodynamic conditions. Data collection focused on the period immediately following storm Johanna until July 2010, i.e. over two and a half years. Results showed that the dune retreated by a maximum of almost 6 m where storm surge and wave attack were the most energetic. Dune retreat led to the creation of accommodation space for the storage of sediment by widening and elevating space between the pre- and post-storm dune toe, and reducing impacts of the storm surge. Dune recovery started in the month following the storm event and is still ongoing. It is characterised by the construction of "secondary" embryo dunes, which recovered at an average rate of 4-4.5 cm per month, although average monthly volume changes varied from - 1 to 2 m 3.m - 1 . These embryo dunes accreted due to a large aeolian sand supply from the upper tidal beach to the existing foredune. These dune-construction processes were facilitated by growth of vegetation on low-profile embryo dunes promoting backshore accretion. After more than two years of survey, the sediment budget of the beach/dune system showed that more than 10,000 m 3 has been lost by the upper tidal beach. We suggest that seaward return currents generated during the storm of 10th March 2008 are responsible for offshore sediment transport. Reconstitution of the equilibrium beach profile following the storm event may therefore have generated cross-shore sediment redistribution inducing net erosion in the tidal zone.

Differentiating Experts' Anticipatory Skills in Beach Volleyball

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canal-Bruland, Rouwen; Mooren, Merel; Savelsbergh, Geert J. P.

2011-01-01

In this study, we examined how perceptual-motor expertise and watching experience contribute to anticipating the outcome of opponents' attacking actions in beach volleyball. To this end, we invited 8 expert beach volleyball players, 8 expert coaches, 8 expert referees, and 8 control participants with no beach volleyball experience to watch videos…

Integrated protecting plan for beach erosion. A case study in Plaka beach, E. Crete, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrakis, Stelios; Alexandrakis, George; Kozyrakis, George; Hatziyanni, Eleni; Kampanis, Nikolaos

2015-04-01

Coastal zones are among the most active areas on Earth, being subjected to extreme wind / wave conditions, thus vulnerable to erosion. In Greece and Crete in particular, beach zones are extremely important for the welfare of the inhabitants, since, apart for the important biological and archaeological value of the beach zones, the socio-economic value is critical since a great number of human activities are concentrated in such areas (touristic facilities, fishing harbors etc.). The present study investigates the erosional procedures observed in Plaka beach, E. Crete, Greece, a highly touristic developed area with great archaeological interest and proposes a cost-effective solution. The factors taken into consideration for the proposed solution in reducing the erosion of the beach were the study of the climatological, geological and geomorphological regime of the area, the recent (~70 years) shifting of the coastline through the study of topographic maps, aerial photographs and satellite images, the creation of detailed bathymetric and seabed classification maps of the area and finally, a risk analysis in terms of erosional phenomena. On the basis of the above, it is concluded that the area under investigation is subjected to an erosional rate of about 1 m/10 years and the total land-loss for the past 70 years is about 4600 m2. Through the simulation of the wave regime we studied 3 possible scenarios, the "do-nothing" scenario, the construction of a detached submerged breakwater at the depth of 3 meters and, finally, the armoring of the existing beach-wall through the placement of appropriate size and material boulders, forming an artificial slope for the reducing of the wave breaking energy and a small scale nourishment plan. As a result, through the modeling of the above, the most appropriate and cost-effective solution was found to be the third, armoring of the existing coastal wall and nourishment of the beach periodically, thus the further undermining of the

Pro-environmental beach driving is uncommon and ineffective in reducing disturbance to beach-dwelling birds.

PubMed

Weston, Michael A; Schlacher, Thomas A; Lynn, David

2014-05-01

Vehicles on beaches cause numerous deleterious effects to coastal wildlife. These impacts may, hypothetically, be lessened if drivers act to reduce disturbance. Since it is unknown to what extent such behavior occurs, and whether it can reduce disturbance, we quantified the behavior of drivers who encountered birds on open-coast, sandy beaches in eastern Australia and the consequent bird responses. Drivers of commercial tourist buses never slowed or altered course ("evaded birds") to avoid disturbing birds; conversely, 34 % of drivers of private cars did evade birds. Drivers of vehicles with fishing rod holders tended (P = 0.09) to evade birds more frequently than non-fishing vehicles. Evasion, when it occurred, was modest, and did not significantly decrease the intensity of bird response or the probability of escapes on the wing. Voluntary behavioral adjustments to alleviate impacts on wildlife may be unworkable, suggesting that other solutions (e.g., beach closures) might be the only effective and feasible way to reduce disturbance to birds on ocean beaches.

75 FR 82382 - Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-30

... Health Act AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of Availability of 2011 BEACH... Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act authorizes EPA to award program development and... the BEACH Act? The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000 amends the...

ASCANS Lunch at Beach House

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-04

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA astronaut candidates, from left, Anne McClain, Christina Hammock and Jessica Meir stand on the beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at the Beach House at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Beach House is a traditional gathering place for astronauts before they fly into space. The astronaut class of 2013 was selected by NASA after an extensive year-and-a-half search. The new group will help the agency push the boundaries of exploration and travel to new destinations in the solar system. To learn more about the astronaut class of 2013, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013astroclass.html Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Long-term Variability of Beach Cusps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pianca, C.; Holman, R. A.; Siegle, E.

2016-02-01

The most curious morphological features observed on beaches are the cusps. Due to their rhythmic spacing, beach cusps have attracted many observers and many, often contradictory, theories as to their form. Moreover, most of the research about beach cusps has focused on their formation. Few had available long time series to study such things as the variability of alongshore and cross-shore position and spacing on the cusp field, the presence, longevity and interactions between higher and lower sets of cusps, and the processes by which cusp fields extend, shrink or change length scale. The purpose of this work is to use long-term data sets of video images from two study sites, an intermediate (Duck, USA, 26 years) and a reflective beach (Massaguaçu, Brazil, 3 years), to investigate the temporal and spatial changes of cusps conditions. Time-evolving shoreline data were first extracted using an algorithm called ASLIM (Pianca et al 2015). Cusps were then identified based on the band-passed variability of time exposure image data about this shoreline as a function of elevation relative to MSL. The identified beaches cusps will be analyzed for cusp spacing, positions (upper or lower cusps), alongshore variability, merging events, percentage of cusp events, patterns of the events and time scales of variability. Finally, the relationship of these characteristics to environmental conditions (wave, tides, beach conditions) will be studied.

Beach recovery capabilities after El Niño 2015–2016 at Ensenada Beach, Northern Baja California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz de Alegría-Arzaburu, Amaia; Vidal-Ruiz, Jesús Adrián

2018-06-01

This study investigates the recovery capabilities of a single-barred beach in the Pacific Mexican coast before and after the 2015-2016 El Niño winter. Concurrent hydrodynamic and morphological data collected over a 3-year period (August 2014-2017) were analysed to determine the subaerial-subtidal volumetric exchange and cross-shore subtidal sandbar migrations, in relation to the incident wave forcing. The beach presented a seasonal seaward and landward sandbar migration cycle. The sandbar migrated offshore during the energetic waves between November and February, and onshore during the milder wave period in spring, until welding to the subaerial beach around May. The transfer of sediment towards the subaerial section continued over the summer, reaching a complete recovery by September/October. Prior to El Niño, the subaerial beach successfully recovered by the end of summer 2015 through the landward sandbar migration process. The 2015-2016 energetic winter waves caused a subaerial volume loss of 140 m3 m-1 (from October 2015 to March 2016), more than twice the amount eroded in the other winters, and the sandbar moved further offshore and to deeper depths (3-4 m) than the winter before. In addition, the energetic 2015-2016 winter waves lasted for 2 months longer than in other years, making the 2016 spring shorter. Consequently, during the onshore migration, the sandbar was unable of reaching shallow depths, and a large portion of sand remained in the subtidal beach. The subaerial beach recovered 60 and 65% of the loss in the 2016 and 2017 summers, respectively. It is concluded that the landward migration process of the sandbar during the spring is critical to ensure a full subaerial beach recovery over the mild wave period in summer. The recovery capabilities of the subaerial beach will depend on the cross-shore distance and depth where the sandbar is located, and on the duration of mild wave conditions required for the sandbar to migrate onshore.

Association of land use and beach closure in the United ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Swimming in natural waters (e.g., oceans, lakes, rivers) is one of most popular recreational activities in the United States. However, exposure to pathogens (e.g., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Cryptosporidium, Giardia, adenovirus, norovirus) in recreational waters can lead to a variety of adverse health outcomes. To protect public health and reduce the number of outbreaks associated with recreational waters, the BEACH Act was passed in 2000, which required beach regulators to develop a formal plan to assess beach water quality and to notify the public if recreational waters are unsafe. High levels of microorganisms in water often follow extreme weather events. Besides extreme weather events, the proximity of certain land uses to beaches may also have great influence on beach water quality. Microbial contaminants that lead to beach closures and human illness come mainly from land, either from discrete point sources or from diffuse non-point sources. It is expected that land use will have considerable influence on beach microbial water quality. However, to date, studies on impacts of land use on beach microbial contamination are rare, and few researchers are aware of the relationship between land use and beach closures.In this study, we analyzed beach closure data obtained from 2004 to 2013 for more than 500 beaches in the United States, and examined their associations with land use around beaches in 2006 and 2011. The results show that the number of beach clos

Folly Beach, South Carolina. Survey Report on Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-28

ADAlI1 709 CORPS OF ENGINEERS CHARLESTON SC CHARLESTON DISTRICT F/G 13/2 MAR DFOLLY BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA SURVEY REPORT ON BEACH EROSION CONT--ETCU...Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District P.O. Box 919, Charleston, S.C. 29402 _____________ S. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 10. PROGRAM...ELEMENT. PROJECT, TASK AREA & WORK UNIT NUMBERS U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District P.O. Box 919, Charleston, S.C. 29402 1t. CONTROLLING

Coastal Land Air Sea Interaction: "the" beach towers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacMahan, J. H.; Koscinski, J. S.; Ortiz-Suslow, D. G.; Haus, B. K.; Thornton, E. B.

2016-12-01

As part of the Coastal Land Air Sea Interaction (CLASI) experiment, an alongshore array of 6-m high towers instrumented with ultrasonic 3D anemometers and temperature-relative humidity sensors were deployed at five sandy beaches near the high-tide line in Monterey Bay, CA, in May-June 2016. A cross-shore array of towers was also deployed from within the active surfzone to the toe of the dune at one beach. In addition, waves and ocean temperature were obtained along the 10m isobath for each beach. The dissipative surfzone was O(80m) wide. The wave energy varies among the beaches owing to sheltering and refraction by the Monterey Canyon and headlands. The tides are semi-diurnal mixed, meso-tidal with a maximum tidal range of 2m. This results in a variable beach width from the tower to the tidal line. Footprint analysis for estimating the source region for the turbulent momentum fluxes, suggests that the observations represent three scenarios described as primarily ocean, mixed beach and ocean, and primarily beach. The direct-estimate of the atmospheric stability by the sonic anemometer suggest that all of the beaches are mostly unstable except for a few occurrences in the evening during low wind conditions. The onshore neutral drag coefficient (Cd) estimated at 10m heights is 3-5 times larger than open ocean estimates. Minimal variability was found in Cd based on the footprint analysis. Beach-specific spatial variability in Cd was found related to atmospheric stability and wave energy.

Response of intertidal sandy-beach macrofauna to human trampling: An urban vs. natural beach system approach.

PubMed

Reyes-Martínez, Ma José; Ruíz-Delgado, Ma Carmen; Sánchez-Moyano, Juan Emilio; García-García, Francisco José

2015-02-01

Sandy beaches are subjected to intense stressors, which are mainly derived from the increasing pattern of beach urbanization. These ecosystems are also a magnet for tourists, who prefer these locations as leisure and holiday destinations, and such activity further increases the factors that have an adverse effect on beaches. In the study reported here the effect of human trampling on macrofauna assemblages that inhabit intertidal areas of sandy beaches was assessed using a BACI design. For this purpose, three contrasting sectors of the same beach were investigated: an urban area with a high level of visitors, a protected sector with a low density of users, and a transitional area with a high level of human occupancy. The physical variables were constant over time in each sector, whereas differences were found in the intensity of human use between sectors. Density variations and changes in the taxonomic structure of the macrofauna with time were shown by PERMANOVA analysis in the urban and transitional locations whereas the protected sector remained constant throughout the study period. The amphipod Bathyporeia pelagica appears sensitive to human trampling pressure and the use of this species as a bioindicator for these types of impact is recommended. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Composite analysis for Escherichia coli at coastal beaches

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bertke, E.E.

2007-01-01

At some coastal beaches, concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria can differ substantially between multiple points at the same beach at the same time. Because of this spatial variability, the recreational water quality at beaches is sometimes determined by stratifying a beach into several areas and collecting a sample from each area to analyze for the concentration of fecal-indicator bacteria. The average concentration of bacteria from those points is often used to compare to the recreational standard for advisory postings. Alternatively, if funds are limited, a single sample is collected to represent the beach. Compositing the samples collected from each section of the beach may yield equally accurate data as averaging concentrations from multiple points, at a reduced cost. In the study described herein, water samples were collected at multiple points from three Lake Erie beaches and analyzed for Escherichia coli on modified mTEC agar (EPA Method 1603). From the multiple-point samples, a composite sample (n = 116) was formed at each beach by combining equal aliquots of well-mixed water from each point. Results from this study indicate that E. coli concentrations from the arithmetic average of multiple-point samples and from composited samples are not significantly different (t = 1.59, p = 0.1139) and yield similar measures of recreational water quality; additionally, composite samples could result in a significant cost savings.

Morphodynamic evolution of Laida beach (Oka estuary, Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, southeastern Bay of Biscay) in response to supratidal beach nourishment actions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monge-Ganuzas, M.; Gainza, J.; Liria, P.; Epelde, I.; Uriarte, A.; Garnier, R.; González, M.; Nuñez, P.; Jaramillo, C.; Medina, R.

2017-12-01

Laida beach, located at the Oka estuary mouth (Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve) in the southeastern region of the Bay of Biscay, suffered the impact of a severe succession of storms during the first months of 2014. As a result of the erosion induced by these events, the beach lost its supratidal zone almost completely. The absence of a supratidal beach generated an impact on the recreational use of the beach during the summer 2014, and represented a potential impact for the coming summer 2015. Furthermore, it resulted in an overexposure and damage of adjacent infrastructures due to impinging strong waves. Therefore, the competent authorities, in coordination, decided to take action in order to nourish the supratidal zone of this beach. The solution adopted combined two different actions. The first one accomplished in spring of 2015, consisted in the mobilization of 44,800 m3 of sand from an area of 35,200 m2 equal to the 7% of the intertidal zone of Laida beach interpreted as the existing surface between the average low and high tidal limits, to the zone next to the eastern rocky beach contour. This action successfully resulted in an increase of the supratidal beach for the entire summer 2015 without negatively perturbing the morphological system. The second action was somewhat experimental and consisted in the mechanical plough of the previously existing intertidal low-amplitude ridges with the aim of increasing the sand transport toward the supratidal beach. Although this action did not lead to the increase of the supratidal beach, it seems to have resulted in an acceleration of the natural onshore migration of the bars. The objective of this contribution is to describe the morphodynamical response of the estuarine mouth after the performed actions with special emphasis on the evolution of extracted sites and the supratidal Laida beach area. The information here presented represents an innovative step in the understanding of the complex mechanisms driving the

50 CFR 24.12 - Designated ports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., Delaware Washington, District of Columbia Jacksonville, Florida Key West, Florida Miami, Florida Orlando, Florida Pensacola, Florida Cape Canaveral, Florida Port Everglades, Florida Tampa, Florida West Palm Beach...

50 CFR 24.12 - Designated ports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., Delaware Washington, District of Columbia Jacksonville, Florida Key West, Florida Miami, Florida Orlando, Florida Pensacola, Florida Cape Canaveral, Florida Port Everglades, Florida Tampa, Florida West Palm Beach...

50 CFR 24.12 - Designated ports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., Delaware Washington, District of Columbia Jacksonville, Florida Key West, Florida Miami, Florida Orlando, Florida Pensacola, Florida Cape Canaveral, Florida Port Everglades, Florida Tampa, Florida West Palm Beach...

50 CFR 24.12 - Designated ports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., Delaware Washington, District of Columbia Jacksonville, Florida Key West, Florida Miami, Florida Orlando, Florida Pensacola, Florida Cape Canaveral, Florida Port Everglades, Florida Tampa, Florida West Palm Beach...

Applications of Dredging and Beach Fills in GenCade

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

June 2016 6 In the beach fills section, it was mentioned that multiple beach fills can be added at the same time to represent nonuniform beach fills...Figure 8 compares the shoreline change of a nonuniform beach fill to a uniform beach fill. For the uniform case, the added berm width along the...entire 1,000 ft is 100 ft. The added berm width for the first 500 ft of the nonuniform case is 150 ft while the added berm width for the second 500 ft is

POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (PCR) TECHNOLOGY IN VISUAL BEACH

EPA Science Inventory

In 2000, the US Congress passed the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act under which the EPA has the mandate to manage all significant public beaches by 2008. As a result, EPA, USGS and NOAA are developing the Visual Beach program which consists of software eq...

Beach Sand Analysis for Indicators of Microbial Contamination

EPA Science Inventory

Traditional beach monitoring has focused on water quality, with little attention paid to health risks associated with beach sand. Recent research has reported that fecal indicator bacteria, as well as human pathogens can be found in beach sand and may constitute a risk to human h...

Stability of a very coarse-grained beach at Carmel, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dingler, J.R.

1981-01-01

Monastery Beach at Carmel, California, is a pocket beach composed of very coarse to granular sediment. In profile, the beach has a well-defined berm crest; a steep foreshore; and a gently sloping, barless offshore covered by large, long-crested oscillation ripples. Carmel Submarine Canyon heads a few hundred meters offshore of the beach, and San Jose Creek, a small ephemeral steam, ponds onshore of the central part of the berm. Wave conditions vary greatly during a year because the beach lies open to the Pacific Ocean for azimuths between 270??-322??N whence come a variety of wave types. Even with a variable wave climate, Monastery Beach has maintained a swell profile for almost three years. Aperiodic beach surveys show that the beach responds little to seasonal changes in wave climate. Four survey lines maintained the same swell profile throughout the study period. The fifth line maintained a stable profile only across the foreshore; the berm was twice artificially breached during storms to prevent upstream flooding along San Jose Creek. In comparison, Carmel Beach, a nearby beach composed of medium sand, commonly alternates between swell and storm profiles. The increased stability of Monastery Beach relative to Carmel Beach is attributed to two factors: grain size differences and location within Carmel Bay. Rebuilding proceeded very slowly along the breached part of the berm at Monastery Beach. The probable cause of such a low recovery rate is that oscillation ripples trapped the sand that was carried offshore when San Jose Creek eroded the beach. The ripples, which are active under high-energy conditions, approach dormancy under low-energy conditions. Each ripple, therefore, acts like a reservoir, retaining sand during most swell conditions. ?? 1981.

Plastics and beaches: a degrading relationship.

PubMed

Corcoran, Patricia L; Biesinger, Mark C; Grifi, Meriem

2009-01-01

Plastic debris in Earth's oceans presents a serious environmental issue because breakdown by chemical weathering and mechanical erosion is minimal at sea. Following deposition on beaches, plastic materials are exposed to UV radiation and physical processes controlled by wind, current, wave and tide action. Plastic particles from Kauai's beaches were sampled to determine relationships between composition, surface textures, and plastics degradation. SEM images indicated that beach plastics feature both mechanically eroded and chemically weathered surface textures. Granular oxidation textures were concentrated along mechanically weakened fractures and along the margins of the more rounded plastic particles. Particles with oxidation textures also produced the most intense peaks in the lower wavenumber region of FTIR spectra. The textural results suggest that plastic debris is particularly conducive to both chemical and mechanical breakdown in beach environments, which cannot be said for plastics in other natural settings on Earth.

The responses of artificial embayed beaches to storm events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojeda, E.; Guillén, J.; Ribas, F.

2009-09-01

The plan-view and the profile shape of sandy beaches largely depend on the incoming wave-energy (Wright and Short, 1984). In this sense, storm events are responsible for major changes in the configuration of sandy beaches and the cumulative effect of storms and fair-weather conditions determines the morphodynamic state of a certain beach. With increasing wave energy, the beach will change from the Reflective state to the Low Tide Terrace, Transverse Bar and Rip, Rhythmic Bar and Beach, Longshore Bar and Trough and finally to the Dissipative beach state. These morphodynamic states are also observed at artificial embayed beaches, although artificial groins limit alongshore sediment transport and protect sections of the beach from waves approaching from a range of directions (Short and Masselink, 1999). This contribution focuses on the morphological changes of the shoreline and the submerged sandbars of artificial embayed (sandy) beaches due to the effect of high-wave conditions associated to storms. We characterize the morphological response of the emerged and submerged beach profile of two of the artificial embayed beaches of the Barcelona city coast (NW Mediterranean). The two embayed beaches under study are single-barred beaches subject to the same climatic conditions but with different morphological characteristics. The study comprises more than 4 years of data, from November 2001 to March 2006, obtained through an Argus video system (Holman and Stanley, 2007). The extraction of the shoreline and barline locations is accomplished using 10-minute time-exposure video images. Shorelines were extracted directly from oblique images (see Ojeda and Guillén, [2008] for a complete description) and rectified afterwards. Sandbars were inferred from the rectified time-exposure video images based on the preferential wave breaking over shallow areas, so they required a minimum significant wave height (Hs) which allowed the occurrence of a clear wave-breaking pattern. The

Setting conservation targets for sandy beach ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Linda; Nel, Ronel; Holness, Stephen; Sink, Kerry; Schoeman, David

2014-10-01

Representative and adequate reserve networks are key to conserving biodiversity. This begs the question, how much of which features need to be placed in protected areas? Setting specifically-derived conservation targets for most ecosystems is common practice; however, this has never been done for sandy beaches. The aims of this paper, therefore, are to propose a methodology for setting conservation targets for sandy beach ecosystems; and to pilot the proposed method using data describing biodiversity patterns and processes from microtidal beaches in South Africa. First, a classification scheme of valued features of beaches is constructed, including: biodiversity features; unique features; and important processes. Second, methodologies for setting targets for each feature under different data-availability scenarios are described. From this framework, targets are set for features characteristic of microtidal beaches in South Africa, as follows. 1) Targets for dune vegetation types were adopted from a previous assessment, and ranged 19-100%. 2) Targets for beach morphodynamic types (habitats) were set using species-area relationships (SARs). These SARs were derived from species richness data from 142 sampling events around the South African coast (extrapolated to total theoretical species richness estimates using previously-established species-accumulation curve relationships), plotted against the area of the beach (calculated from Google Earth imagery). The species-accumulation factor (z) was 0.22, suggesting a baseline habitat target of 27% is required to protect 75% of the species. This baseline target was modified by heuristic principles, based on habitat rarity and threat status, with final values ranging 27-40%. 3) Species targets were fixed at 20%, modified using heuristic principles based on endemism, threat status, and whether or not beaches play an important role in the species' life history, with targets ranging 20-100%. 4) Targets for processes and 5

Geospatial characteristics of Florida's coastal and offshore environments: Distribution of important habitats for coastal and offshore biological resources and offshore sand resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Foster, Ann M.; Jones, Michal L.; Gualtieri, Daniel J.

2011-01-01

The Geospatial Characteristics GeoPDF of Florida's Coastal and Offshore Environments is a comprehensive collection of geospatial data describing the political boundaries and natural resources of Florida. This interactive map provides spatial information on bathymetry, sand resources, and locations of important habitats (for example, Essential Fish Habitats (EFH), nesting areas, strandings) for marine invertebrates, fish, reptiles, birds, and marine mammals. The map should be useful to coastal resource managers and others interested in marine habitats and submerged obstructions of Florida's coastal region. In particular, as oil and gas explorations continue to expand, the map can be used to explore information regarding sensitive areas and resources in the State of Florida. Users of this geospatial database will have access to synthesized information in a variety of scientific disciplines concerning Florida's coastal zone. This powerful tool provides a one-stop assembly of data that can be tailored to fit the needs of many natural resource managers. The map was originally developed to assist the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) and coastal resources managers with planning beach restoration projects. The BOEMRE uses a systematic approach in planning the development of submerged lands of the Continental Shelf seaward of Florida's territorial waters. Such development could affect the environment. BOEMRE is required to ascertain the existing physical, biological, and socioeconomic conditions of the submerged lands and estimate the impact of developing these lands. Data sources included the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, BOEMRE, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Geographic Data Library, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, and the State of Florida, Bureau of Archeological Research. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) compliant metadata are

USING TODAY'S DATA TO CLOSE THE BEACH TODAY. QUANTITATIVE POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (QPCR) RAPID BEACH CLOSING TOOL

EPA Science Inventory

Recreational beaches are an important economic and aesthetic asset to communities, states and the nation as a whole. Considerable resources are expended each year in the measurement of fecal indicator bacteria concentrations in the water at these beaches to determine whether thes...

USING TODAY'S DATA TO CLOSE THE BEACH TODAY. QUANTITATIVE POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (QPCR) RAPID BEACH CLOSINGS TOOL

EPA Science Inventory

Recreational beaches are an important economic and aesthetic asset to communities, states and the nation as a whole. Considerable resources are expended each year in the measurement of fecal indicator bacteria concentrations in the water at these beaches to determine whether thes...

75 FR 1373 - Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-11

... Health Act AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of Availability of 2010 BEACH... Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act authorizes EPA to award program development and...? The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000 amends the Clean Water Act...

Virtual Beach 3: user's guide

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cyterski, Mike; Brooks, Wesley; Galvin, Mike; Wolfe, Kurt; Carvin, Rebecca; Roddick, Tonia; Fienen, Mike; Corsi, Steve

2014-01-01

Virtual Beach version 3 (VB3) is a decision support tool that constructs site-specific statistical models to predict fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) concentrations at recreational beaches. VB3 is primarily designed for beach managers responsible for making decisions regarding beach closures or the issuance of swimming advisories due to pathogen contamination. However, researchers, scientists, engineers, and students interested in studying relationships between water quality indicators and ambient environmental conditions will find VB3 useful. VB3 reads input data from a text file or Excel document, assists the user in preparing the data for analysis, enables automated model selection using a wide array of possible model evaluation criteria, and provides predictions using a chosen model parameterized with new data. With an integrated mapping component to determine the geographic orientation of the beach, the software can automatically decompose wind/current/wave speed and magnitude information into along-shore and onshore/offshore components for use in subsequent analyses. Data can be examined using simple scatter plots to evaluate relationships between the response and independent variables (IVs). VB3 can produce interaction terms between the primary IVs, and it can also test an array of transformations to maximize the linearity of the relationship The software includes search routines for finding the "best" models from an array of possible choices. Automated censoring of statistical models with highly correlated IVs occurs during the selection process. Models can be constructed either using previously collected data or forecasted environmental information. VB3 has residual diagnostics for regression models, including automated outlier identification and removal using DFFITs or Cook's Distances.

Geophysical features influence the accumulation of beach debris on Caribbean islands.

PubMed

Schmuck, Alexandra M; Lavers, Jennifer L; Stuckenbrock, Silke; Sharp, Paul B; Bond, Alexander L

2017-08-15

Anthropogenic beach debris was recorded during beach surveys of 24 Caribbean islands during April 2014-April 2016. Beach debris was classified according to material type (e.g., polystyrene) and item use (e.g., fishing). Geophysical features (substrate type, beach direction, and human accessibility) of sample sites were recorded in order to investigate their relationship with debris density. Results suggest the density of macro debris (items >5mm) is highest on uninhabited, sandy beaches facing a leeward direction. Higher debris quantities on inaccessible beaches may be due to less frequent beach clean ups. Frequently accessed beaches exhibited lower macro, but higher micro debris (items 1-5mm) densities, possibly due to removal of macro debris during frequent beach clean ups. This suggests that while geophysical features have some influence on anthropogenic debris densities, high debris densities are occurring on all islands within the Caribbean region regardless of substrate, beach direction, or human accessibility. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Fishing and Fishing Closures on Beach Clams: Experimental Evaluation across Commercially Fished and Non-Fished Beaches before and during Harvesting.

PubMed

Gray, Charles A

2016-01-01

Management responses to reconcile declining fisheries typically include closed areas and times to fishing. This study evaluated this strategy for a beach clam fishery by testing the hypothesis that changes in the densities and size compositions of clams from before to during harvesting would differ between commercially fished and non-fished beaches. Sampling was spatially stratified across the swash and dry sand habitats on each of two commercially fished and two non-fished beaches, and temporally stratified across three six-week blocks: before, early and late harvesting. Small-scale spatio-temporal variability in the densities and sizes of clams was prevalent across both habitats and the components of variation were generally greatest at the lowest levels examined. Despite this, differences in the densities and sizes of clams among individual beaches were evident, but there were few significant differences across the commercially fished versus non-fished beaches from before to during harvesting. There was no evidence of reduced densities or truncated size compositions of clams on fished compared to non-fished beaches, contrasting reports of some other organisms in protected areas. This was probably due to a combination of factors, including the current levels of commercial harvests, the movements and other local-scale responses of clams to ecological processes acting independently across individual beaches. The results identify the difficulties in detecting fishing-related impacts against inherent levels of variability in clam populations. Nevertheless, continued experimental studies that test alternate management arrangements may help refine and determine the most suitable strategies for the sustainable harvesting of beach clams, ultimately enhancing the management of sandy beaches.

Spectral and Geological Characterization of Beach Components in Northern Puerto Rico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caraballo Álvarez, I. O.; Torres-Perez, J. L.; Barreto, M.

2015-12-01

Understanding how changes in beach components may reflect beach processes is essential since variations along beach profiles can shed light on river and ocean processes influencing beach sedimentation and beachrock formation. It is likely these influences are related to beach proximity within the Río Grande de Manatí river mouth. Therefore, this study focuses on characterizing beach components at two sites in Manatí, Puerto Rico. Playa Machuca and Playa Tombolo, which are separated by eolianites, differ greatly in sediment size, mineralogy, and beachrock morphology. Several approaches were taken to geologically and spectrally characterize main beach components at each site. These approaches included field and microscopic laboratory identification, granulometry, and a comparison between remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) obtained with a field spectroradiometer and pre-existing spectral library signatures. Preliminary results indicate a positive correlation between each method. This study may help explore the possibility of using only Rrs to characterize beach and shallow submarine components for detailed image analysis and management of coastal features.This study focuses on characterizing beach components at two sites in Manatí, Puerto Rico. Playa Machuca and Playa Tombolo, two beaches that are separated by eolianites, differ greatly in sediment size and mineralogy, as well as in beachrock morphology. Understanding how changes in beach components may reflect beach processes is essential, since it is likely that differences are mostly related to each beaches' proximity to the Río Grande de Manatí river mouth. Hence, changes in components along beach profiles can shed light on the river's and the ocean's influence on beach sedimentation and beachrock formation. Several approaches were taken to properly geologically and spectrally characterize the main beach components at each site. These approaches included field and microscopic laboratory identification

Beaches in Motion. Interaction and Environmental Change. Secondary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee County School District, Ft. Myers, FL. Dept. of Environmental Education and Instructional Development Services.

The terms "high energy" and "low energy" refer to the amount of energy a wave has that reaches the face of a beach. In this student guide, two types of beaches are investigated. The objective is to be able to identify whether a beach is of high or low energy. Background information is provided, as well as instructions and…

Beachrock morphology and genesis on a paraglacial beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, J. A. G.; Green, A. N.; Wiles, E. A.

2017-10-01

Beachrock is present in deep, stable sections of a mixed sand and gravel beach at Whitepark Bay (55o14‧N) on the paraglacial coast of Northern Ireland. The beachrock was revealed following progressive and extreme beach erosion during two particularly stormy winters (2013/14 and 2014/15). It occurs as large (up to 1 m diameter, 0.2 m thick), rounded, disc-shaped concretions in which original beach bedding structures are preserved. Both sand and gravel beach facies are cemented. The cements are similar to those of tropical beachrocks and comprise an initial thin micrite rim, and subsequent grain rims of aragonitic needles. The cementation is attributed to saturation of beach groundwater with calcium carbonate sourced from adjacent Cretaceous chalk outcrop in cliffs behind the beach and dunes. The micrite rims suggest microbial activity in the initial cementation, possibly by scavenging from chalk and skeletal carbonate grains. Subsequent aragonite rims were formed through degassing of CO2 aided by tidal water level fluctuations. Despite similar cementation processes to low latitude beachrocks, only isolated concretions occur rather than extensive shore-parallel outcrops. Conditions necessary for cementation (and ultimately preservation) in this cold temperate and paraglacial setting include long-term beach stability, a carbonate source (in this case, adjacent chalk cliffs and stream sapping) and tidal water level fluctuations. Bacterial activity may initiate calcite precipitation. Following extreme storms and with progressive shoreline retreat prompted by rising sea levels, increased reporting of cold-water beachrocks is to be expected as formerly stable sections of beaches are exposed to wave action.

Geographic setting influences Great Lakes beach microbiological water quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haack, Sheridan K.; Fogarty, Lisa R.; Stelzer, Erin A.; Fuller, Lori M.; Brennan, Angela K.; Isaacs, Natasha M.; Johnson, Heather E.

2013-01-01

Understanding of factors that influence Escherichia coli (EC) and enterococci (ENT) concentrations, pathogen occurrence, and microbial sources at Great Lakes beaches comes largely from individual beach studies. Using 12 representative beaches, we tested enrichment cultures from 273 beach water and 22 tributary samples for EC, ENT, and genes indicating the bacterial pathogens Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC), Shigella spp., Salmonella spp, Campylobacter jejuni/coli, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and 108–145 samples for Bacteroides human, ruminant, and gull source-marker genes. EC/ENT temporal patterns, general Bacteroides concentration, and pathogen types and occurrence were regionally consistent (up to 40 km), but beach catchment variables (drains/creeks, impervious surface, urban land cover) influenced exceedances of EC/ENT standards and detections of Salmonella and STEC. Pathogen detections were more numerous when the EC/ENT Beach Action Value (but not when the Geometric Mean and Statistical Threshold Value) was exceeded. EC, ENT, and pathogens were not necessarily influenced by the same variables. Multiple Bacteroides sources, varying by date, occurred at every beach. Study of multiple beaches in different geographic settings provided new insights on the contrasting influences of regional and local variables, and a broader-scale perspective, on significance of EC/ENT exceedances, bacterial sources, and pathogen occurrence.

Shore litter along sandy beaches of the Gulf of Oman.

PubMed

Claereboudt, Michel R

2004-11-01

Beach debris abundance and weight were estimated from surveys on 11 beaches of the Gulf of Oman along the Omani coast. Debris were collected on two occasions from 100 m transects, sorted and categorized by origin and type. Overall contaminations ranged from 0.43 to 6.01 items m(-1) of beach front on different beaches with a mean value of 1.79+/-1.04 gm(-1) (95% C.I). In terms of weight, contamination levels ranged from 7.8 to 75.44 gm(-1) of beach front with a mean contamination of 27.02+/-14.48 gm(-1) (95% C.I). In terms of numbers of items, plastic debris ranked first on all beaches followed by either wood items or other organic materials such as cigarette butts. Industrial debris remained few on all beaches (<10%). Most debris had a local origin and, in terms of numbers, were associated with beach recreational activities whereas fishing debris represented the largest proportion of the debris in terms of weight. There were notable differences between beaches in the relative abundance of recreation-related and fishing-related debris.

Understanding beach health throughout the Great Lakes -- continuing research

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2012-01-01

The overall mission of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Beach Health Initiative is to provide science-based information and methods that will allow beach managers to more accurately make beach closure and advisory decisions, understand the sources and physical processes affecting beach contaminants, and understand how science-based information can be used to mitigate and restore beaches and protect the public. The USGS, in collaboration with many Federal, State, and local agencies and universities, has conducted research on beach-health issues in the Great Lakes Region for more than a decade. The work consists of four science elements that align with the initiative's mission: real-time assessments of water quality; coastal processes; pathogens and source tracking; and data analysis, interpretation, and communication. The ongoing or completed research for each of these elements is described in this fact sheet.

Tracing sediment dispersal on nourished beaches: Two case studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thieler, E. Robert; Gayes, Paul T.; Schwab, William C.; Harris, M. Scott

1999-01-01

The event- to decade-scale patterns of sediment dispersal on two artificially nourished beaches have been mapped using a combination of geophysical surveys, closely-spaced vibracores, and repeated beach profiles. At both Wrightsville Beach, NC and Folly Island, SC the sediment used for beach nourishment is macroscopically distinct from native sediment and can be used to identify sediment transport pathways and infer mechanisms for across-shelf transport. The data from both sites demonstrate that significant quantities of nourishment sediment are being transported seaward onto the inner continental shelf. The time and space scales of this transport are of engineering interest for the planning, design and long-term maintenance of nourished beaches.

Coupling alongshore variations in wave energy to beach morphologic change using the SWAN wave model at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eshleman, Jodi L.; Barnard, Patrick L.; Erikson, Li H.; Hanes, Daniel M.

2007-01-01

Coastal managers have faced increasing pressure to manage their resources wisely over the last century as a result of heightened development and changing environmental forcing. It is crucial to understand seasonal changes in beach volume and shape in order to identify areas vulnerable to accelerated erosion. Shepard (1950) was among the first to quantify seasonal beach cycles. Sonu and Van Beek (1971) and Wright et al. (1985) described commonly occurring beach states. Most studies utilize widest spaced 2-D cross shore profiles or shorelines extracted from aerial photographs (e.g. Winant et al. 1975; Aubrey, 1979, Aubrey and Ross, 1985; Larson and Kraus, 1994; Jimenez et al., 1977; Lacey and Peck, 1998; Guillen et al., 1999; Norcorss et al., 2002) to analyzed systematic changes in beach evolution. But with the exception of established field stations, such as Duck, NC (Birkemeier and Mason, 1984), ans Hazaki Oceanographical Research Station (HORS) in Japan (Katoh, 1997), there are very few beach change data sets with high temporal and spatial resolutions (e.g. Dail et al., 2000; Ruggiero et al., 2005; Yates et al., in press). Comprehensive sets of nearshore morphological data and local in situ measurements outside of these field stations are very rare and virtually non-existent high-energy coasts. Studied that have attempted to relate wave statistics to beach morphology change require some knowledge of the nearshore wave climate, and have had limited success using offshore measurement (Sonu and Van Beek, 1971; Dail et al., 2000). The primary objective of this study is to qualitatively compare spatially variable nearshore wave predictions to beach change measurements in order to understand the processes responsible for a persistent erosion 'hotspot' at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA. Local wave measurements are used to calibrate and validate a wave model that provides nearshore wave prediction along the beach. The model is run for thousands of binned offshore wave

Association of land use and its change with beach closure in ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Land use and its change have great influences on water quality. However, their impacts on microbial contamination of beach water have been rarely investigated and their relationship with beach closure is still unknown. Here, we analyzed beach closure data obtained from 2004 to 2013 for more than 500 beaches in the United States, and examined their associations with land use around beaches in 2006 and 2011, respectively, as well as the land use change between 2011 and 2006. The results show that the number of beach closures is negatively associated with the percentages of forest, barren land, grassland and wetland, while positively associated with the percentage of urban area. The results from multi-level models also indicate the negative association with forest area but positive association with urban area and agriculture. The examination of the change of land use and the number of beach closures between 2011 and 2006 indicates that the increase in the number of beach closures is positively associated with the increase in urban (β=1.612, p<0.05) and agricultural area including pasture (β=0.098, p<0.05), but negatively associated with the increase in forest area (β= -1.789, p<0.05). The study suggests that urbanization and agriculture development near beaches have adverse effects on beach microbial water quality, while afforestation may protect beach water quality and reduce the number of beach closures. To compare differences in beach closures across the US u

Beach litter occurrence in sandy littorals: The potential role of urban areas, rivers and beach users in central Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poeta, Gianluca; Conti, Luisa; Malavasi, Marco; Battisti, Corrado; Acosta, Alicia Teresa Rosario

2016-11-01

Litter washed ashore on the coastline, also called beach litter, constitutes one of the most obvious signs of marine litter pollution. Surveys of beach litter represent a fundamental tool for monitoring pollution in the marine environment and have been used world-wide to classify and quantify marine litter. Identifying the sources of marine and beach litter is, together with education, the prime weapon in combating this type of pollution. This work investigates the impact of three main potential land sources on litter occurrence: urban areas, rivers and beach users. Three sources were analyzed simultaneously on a broad scale (Lazio region, central Italy) using a random sampling design and fitting a generalized linear mixed-effect model. The results show that urban areas are the main drivers for the occurrence of marine litter along central Italy's coastal ecosystems, suggesting that the presence of such litter on Lazio beaches could be effectively reduced by identifying failings in recycling and waste collection procedures and by improving waste processing systems and sewage treatment in urban areas.

Differentiating experts' anticipatory skills in beach volleyball.

PubMed

Cañal-Bruland, Rouwen; Mooren, Merel; Savelsbergh, Geert J P

2011-12-01

In this study, we examined how perceptual-motor expertise and watching experience contribute to anticipating the outcome of opponents' attacking actions in beach volleyball. To this end, we invited 8 expert beach volleyball players, 8 expert coaches, 8 expert referees, and 8 control participants with no beach volleyball experience to watch videos of attack sequences that were occluded at three different times and to predict the outcome of these situations. Results showed that expert players and coaches (who were both perceptual-motor experts) outperformed the expert referees (who were watching experts but did not have the same motor expertise) and the control group in the latest occlusion condition (i.e., at spiker-ball contact). This finding suggests that perceptual-motor expertise may contribute to successful action anticipation in beach volleyball.

Effects of Fishing and Fishing Closures on Beach Clams: Experimental Evaluation across Commercially Fished and Non-Fished Beaches before and during Harvesting

PubMed Central

Gray, Charles A.

2016-01-01

Management responses to reconcile declining fisheries typically include closed areas and times to fishing. This study evaluated this strategy for a beach clam fishery by testing the hypothesis that changes in the densities and size compositions of clams from before to during harvesting would differ between commercially fished and non-fished beaches. Sampling was spatially stratified across the swash and dry sand habitats on each of two commercially fished and two non-fished beaches, and temporally stratified across three six-week blocks: before, early and late harvesting. Small-scale spatio-temporal variability in the densities and sizes of clams was prevalent across both habitats and the components of variation were generally greatest at the lowest levels examined. Despite this, differences in the densities and sizes of clams among individual beaches were evident, but there were few significant differences across the commercially fished versus non-fished beaches from before to during harvesting. There was no evidence of reduced densities or truncated size compositions of clams on fished compared to non-fished beaches, contrasting reports of some other organisms in protected areas. This was probably due to a combination of factors, including the current levels of commercial harvests, the movements and other local-scale responses of clams to ecological processes acting independently across individual beaches. The results identify the difficulties in detecting fishing-related impacts against inherent levels of variability in clam populations. Nevertheless, continued experimental studies that test alternate management arrangements may help refine and determine the most suitable strategies for the sustainable harvesting of beach clams, ultimately enhancing the management of sandy beaches. PMID:26731102

Identification and bioactive potential of marine microorganisms from selected Florida coastal areas.

PubMed

Christensen, Anna; Martin, Glenroy D A

2017-08-01

The ocean, with its rich untapped chemical biodiversity, continues to serve as a source of potentially new therapeutic agents. The evaluation of the diversity of cultivable microorganisms from the marine sponge Halichondria panicea and ocean sediment samples were examined and their potential as sources of antimicrobial and antiproliferative agents were investigated. The marine sponge and sediments were collected at different depths (0.9-6 meters) and locations in Florida, including Florida Keys, Port St. Joe in Pensacola, Pensacola Bay, Pensacola Beach, and Fort Pickens. Twenty-one cultivatable isolates were grouped according to their morphology and identified using 16S rRNA molecular taxonomy. The bacterial community identified consisted of members belonging to the Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria (Alpha- and Gamma-classes) and Firmicutes phylogeny. Seven of the microbes exhibited mild to significant cytotoxic activities against five microbial indicators but no significant cytotoxic activities were observed against the pancreatic (PANC-1) nor the multidrug-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines (NCI/ADR). This work reaffirms the phyla Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria as sources of potential bioactive natural product candidates for drug discovery and development. © 2017 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Users' perception as a tool to improve urban beach planning and management.

PubMed

Cervantes, Omar; Espejel, Ileana; Arellano, Evarista; Delhumeau, Sheila

2008-08-01

Four beaches that share physiographic characteristics (sandy, wide, and long) but differ in socioeconomic and cultural terms (three are located in northwestern Mexico and one in California, USA) were evaluated by beach users. Surveys (565) composed of 36 questions were handed out to beach users on weekends and holidays in 2005. The 25 questions that revealed the most information were selected by factor analysis and classified by cluster analysis. Beach users' preferences were assigned a value by comparing the present survey results with the characteristics of an "ideal" recreational urban beach. Cluster analysis separated three groups of questions: (a) services and infrastructure, (b) recreational activities, and (c) beach conditions. Cluster linkage distance (r=0.82, r=0.78, r=0.67) was used as a weight and multiplied by the value of beach descriptive factors. Mazatlán and Oceanside obtained the highest values because there are enough infrastructure and services; on the contrary, Ensenada and Rosarito were rated medium and low because infrastructure and services are lacking. The presently proposed method can contribute to improving current beach evaluations because the final score represents the beach users' evaluation of the quality of the beach. The weight considered in the present study marks the beach users' preferences among the studied beaches. Adding this weight to beach evaluation will contribute to more specific beach planning in which users' perception is considered.

Users' Perception as a Tool to Improve Urban Beach Planning and Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cervantes, Omar; Espejel, Ileana; Arellano, Evarista; Delhumeau, Sheila

2008-08-01

Four beaches that share physiographic characteristics (sandy, wide, and long) but differ in socioeconomic and cultural terms (three are located in northwestern Mexico and one in California, USA) were evaluated by beach users. Surveys (565) composed of 36 questions were handed out to beach users on weekends and holidays in 2005. The 25 questions that revealed the most information were selected by factor analysis and classified by cluster analysis. Beach users’ preferences were assigned a value by comparing the present survey results with the characteristics of an “ideal” recreational urban beach. Cluster analysis separated three groups of questions: (a) services and infrastructure, (b) recreational activities, and (c) beach conditions. Cluster linkage distance ( r = 0.82, r = 0.78, r = 0.67) was used as a weight and multiplied by the value of beach descriptive factors. Mazatlán and Oceanside obtained the highest values because there are enough infrastructure and services; on the contrary, Ensenada and Rosarito were rated medium and low because infrastructure and services are lacking. The presently proposed method can contribute to improving current beach evaluations because the final score represents the beach users’ evaluation of the quality of the beach. The weight considered in the present study marks the beach users’ preferences among the studied beaches. Adding this weight to beach evaluation will contribute to more specific beach planning in which users’ perception is considered.

Threats to sandy beach ecosystems: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Defeo, Omar; McLachlan, Anton; Schoeman, David S.; Schlacher, Thomas A.; Dugan, Jenifer; Jones, Alan; Lastra, Mariano; Scapini, Felicita

2009-01-01

We provide a brief synopsis of the unique physical and ecological attributes of sandy beach ecosystems and review the main anthropogenic pressures acting on the world's single largest type of open shoreline. Threats to beaches arise from a range of stressors which span a spectrum of impact scales from localised effects (e.g. trampling) to a truly global reach (e.g. sea-level rise). These pressures act at multiple temporal and spatial scales, translating into ecological impacts that are manifested across several dimensions in time and space so that today almost every beach on every coastline is threatened by human activities. Press disturbances (whatever the impact source involved) are becoming increasingly common, operating on time scales of years to decades. However, long-term data sets that describe either the natural dynamics of beach systems or the human impacts on beaches are scarce and fragmentary. A top priority is to implement long-term field experiments and monitoring programmes that quantify the dynamics of key ecological attributes on sandy beaches. Because of the inertia associated with global climate change and human population growth, no realistic management scenario will alleviate these threats in the short term. The immediate priority is to avoid further development of coastal areas likely to be directly impacted by retreating shorelines. There is also scope for improvement in experimental design to better distinguish natural variability from anthropogenic impacts. Sea-level rise and other effects of global warming are expected to intensify other anthropogenic pressures, and could cause unprecedented ecological impacts. The definition of the relevant scales of analysis, which will vary according to the magnitude of the impact and the organisational level under analysis, and the recognition of a physical-biological coupling at different scales, should be included in approaches to quantify impacts. Zoning strategies and marine reserves, which have not

The health effects of swimming at Sydney beaches. The Sydney Beach Users Study Advisory Group.

PubMed Central

Corbett, S J; Rubin, G L; Curry, G K; Kleinbaum, D G

1993-01-01

OBJECTIVES. The purpose of the study was to determine the health risks of swimming at ocean beaches in Sydney, Australia. METHODS. From people attending 12 Sydney beaches in the period from December 5, 1989 to February 26, 1990, we recruited a cohort of 8413 adults who agreed to participate in this study. Of these, 4424 were excluded either because they had been swimming in the previous 5 days or because they reported a current illness. Of the remainder, 2839 successfully completed a follow-up telephone interview conducted within 10 days after recruitment. We recorded reported respiratory, gastrointestinal, eye, and ear symptoms and fever that occurred within the 10 days between initial interview on the beach and the follow-up interview. RESULTS. A total of 683 participants (24.0%) reported experiencing symptoms in the 10 days following initial interview. Of these, 435 (63.7%) reported respiratory symptoms. Swimmers were almost twice as likely as nonswimmers to report symptoms. There was a linear relationship between water pollution and all reported symptoms with the exception of gastrointestinal complaints. CONCLUSIONS. Swimmers at Sydney ocean beaches are more likely to report respiratory, ear, and eye symptoms than beachgoers who do not swim. The incidence of these symptoms increases slightly with increasing levels of pollution. PMID:8259798

Threatened and Endangered Species Survey for Patrick Air Force Base, Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oddy, Donna M.; Stolen, Eric D.; Schmalzer, Paul A.; Larson, Vickie L.; Hall, Patrice; Hensley, Melissa A.

1997-01-01

characteristic of species that occur in the Indian River Lagoon system. Twenty-five species of waterbirds were observed during quarterly surveys on PAFB, including five species listed as species of special concern by the state of Florida: Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea), Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolo4, White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), and Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis). The Golf Course was used extensively by almost all species of waterbirds on PAFB. Twenty-two species of shorebirds were observed on PAFB. Although no listed species were observed, the potential exists for several protected species of shorebirds to use the beach at PAFB during some parts of the year. The Airfield runways and associated grass areas were important sites at PAFB for loafing and feeding for some shorebirds. Surveys of rooftop nesting by Least Terns (Stema antillarum) on PAFB found a large colony on a rooftop in the PAFB Industrial Area. This colony produced some independent young. Two rooftop Least Tern colonies reported from previous years were inactive during 1996. A small number of Black Skimmers (Rhynchops nigee attempted to nest at the Least Ten colony but were unsuccessful. Surveys for the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) revealed burrows and tortoises only at the Waste Study Site; five burrows and three tortoises were observed. No Florida scrub lizards (Sceloporus woodi), eastern indigo snakes (Drymarchon corais couperl), or diamondback terrapins (Malademys terrapin terrapin) were observed. American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) were observed on the Golf Course and using ditches, ponds, and areas along the Banana River. The amount of dune habitat could be expanded by not mowing areas adjacent to the dunes to allow dune species to colonize and expand. Planting dune species as part of the beach renourishment project will also increase this habitat. Exotic plants dominate several areas on the base and are used by threatened, endangered, and

Erosion in the Beaches of Crete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Synolakis, C. E.; Foteinis, S.; Voukouvalas, V.; Kalligeris, N.

2009-04-01

In the past decade, erosion rates for the coastlines of Greece are rapidly increasing. Many beaches on the northern coast of the island have substantially retreated, while others have disappeared or will disappear within the present or the following decade if no action is taken. For the better understanding and visualization of the current situation, specific examples of rapid erosion are described and afterwards we speculate as to the causes. We infer that, as in other parts of the Mediterranean, the causes are anthropogenic and include removal of sand dunes to build roads, sand mining from beaches and rivers, permanent building construction within the active coastal zone, on or too close to shoreline, and poor design of coastal structures. The reason behind the rapid erosion of Greece coastlines is the complete lack of any semblance of coastal zone management and antiquated legislation. We conclude that unless urgent measures for the protection and even salvation of the beaches are taken and if the sand mining and dune removal does not stop, then several beaches will disappear within the present and the following decade.

ENTEROCOCCI IN THE WATER COLUMN AND SHORELINE INTERSTITIAL WATERS AT BEACHES ON THE GULF OF MEXICO AND SANTA ROSA SOUND, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA

EPA Science Inventory

Interstitial water in the swash zone, that area of a beach where waves continuously wash up on the sand, is suspected of accumulating microbes. If pathogens are concentrated in the interstitial water or if they grow, they may pose a health risk, especially for children. This st...

Modes of embayed beach dynamics: analysis reveals emergent timescales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, K. T.; Murray, A.; Limber, P. W.; Ells, K. D.

2013-12-01

Embayed beaches, or beaches positioned between rocky headlands, exhibit morphologic changes over many length and time scales. Beach sediment is transported as a result of the day-to-day wave forcing, causing patterns of erosion and accretion. We use the Rocky Coastline Evolution Model (RCEM) to investigate how patterns of shoreline change depend on wave climate (the distribution of wave-approach angles) and beach characteristics. Measuring changes in beach width through time allows us to track the evolution of the shape of the beach and the movement of sand within it. By using Principle Component Analysis (PCA), these changes can be categorized into modes, where the first few modes explain the majority of the variation in the time series. We analyze these modes and how they vary as a function of wave climate and headland/bay aspect ratio. In the purposefully simple RCEM, sediment transport is wave-driven and affected by wave shadowing behind the headlands. The rock elements in our model experiments (including the headlands) are fixed and unerodable so that this analysis can focus purely on sand dynamics between the headlands, without a sand contribution from the headlands or cliffs behind the beach. The wave climate is characterized by dictating the percentage of offshore waves arriving from the left and the percentage of waves arriving from high angles (very oblique to the coastline orientation). A high-angle dominated wave climate tends to amplify coastline perturbations, whereas a lower-angle wave climate is diffusive. By changing the headland/bay aspect ratio and wave climate, we can perform PCA analysis of generalized embayed beaches with differing anatomy and wave climate forcings. Previous work using PCA analysis of embayed beaches focused on specific locations and shorter timescales (<30 years; Short and Trembanis, 2004). By using the RCEM, we can more broadly characterize beach dynamics over longer timescales. The first two PCA modes, which explain a

PREDICTING BACTERIAL CONCENTRATION ON THE NATION'S BEACHES

EPA Science Inventory

A classical example of the failure of institutions and environmental technology to protect the nation's aesthetic, recreational, and public health values is represented by the July-August, 1999 Huntington Beach, California beach closure. This multi-million dollar regional public ...

129. PLAN OF IMPROVEMENT, HUNTINGTON BEACH MUNICIPAL PIER: LIGHTING DIAGRAM. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

129. PLAN OF IMPROVEMENT, HUNTINGTON BEACH MUNICIPAL PIER: LIGHTING DIAGRAM. Sheet lO of 11 (#3283) - Huntington Beach Municipal Pier, Pacific Coast Highway at Main Street, Huntington Beach, Orange County, CA

Tracer Studies In A Laboratory Beach Subjected To Waves

EPA Science Inventory

This work investigated the washout of dissolved nutrients from beaches due to waves by conducting tracer studies in a laboratory beach facility. The effects of waves were studied in the case where the beach was subjected to the tide, and that in which no tidal action was present...

A Study of Sandy Beach Zonation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Steve K.

1991-01-01

Describes the study of sandy beach zonations as a seashore activity for either high school or lower-level college courses in biology, ecology, or marine biology. Students first draw a profile of a beach scene and then collect specimens from the zones of the shore. In a laboratory, students identify their specimens and relate them to the beach…

On the role of impermeable groins on barred beach morphodynamics: Example of Matalascañas beach, Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedrati, Mouncef; Morales González, Juan Antonio

2017-04-01

Several studies on barred beaches in settings with mesotidal to macrotidal regimes have focused on cross-shore and alongshore bar mobility. Whereas the general link between hydrodynamics, sediment transport and the response of the intertidal bars and shoreline evolution has been recognized in the literature, the role of coastal defense structures (Breakwaters, groins, seawalls) on bar-trough systems morphodynamics have received more much less attention and the field-based experimental studies of these environments are rare. The main aim of this paper is to highlight the contrasting behavior of a natural and protected barred beach under several hydrodynamics conditions. This paper presents detailed hydrodynamic and morphological data from a field experiment spanning 10 days undertaken in Matalascañas beach, a mesotidal protected vs natural barred beach in the Southern Spanish coast. This mesotidal beach experienced intense erosion in the recent past and therefore it has been partially protected by groins (protection of sea-front touristic residences). During the fieldwork, an intertidal bars in the protected and non-protected areas highlighted contrasting morphological behaviour. The non-protected barred beach shows a less pronounced bar-trough system than the protected zone. Under low energy conditions (significant wave height < 0,6m), onshore bar migration rate in the protected area was more important than the non-protected area. This migration was associated with an onshore sediment transport, resulting from the erosion of the bar's seaward slope. In the same moment, a clear longshore bar migration was observed in the non-protected zone with the absence of this process in the protected zone. During few energetic tides (Significant wave height > 1m), the protected and non-protected zones show a flattening bars processes. The findings of the present study suggest that cross-shore vs longshore bar mobility may even be mitigated by the presence of the groins, which

Virtual Beach v2.2 User Guide

EPA Science Inventory

Virtual Beach version 2.2 (VB 2.2) is a decision support tool. It is designed to construct site-specific Multi-Linear Regression (MLR) models to predict pathogen indicator levels (or fecal indicator bacteria, FIB) at recreational beaches. MLR analysis has outperformed persisten...

75 FR 14206 - FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC; Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2; Environmental Assessment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-24

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket Nos. 50-266 And 50-301; NRC-2010-0123 FPL Energy Point Beach, LLC; Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an Exemption, pursuant to...

Beach Erosion Mitigation and Sediment Management Alternatives at Wallops Island, VA

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

to retain sand on the shoreface. These were the “Beach Prism,” a precast concrete ERDC/CHL TR-06-21 55 triangular prism, and the “Beach Beam ,” a...during an April 1988 storm (photograph courtesy of NASA)................................................................28 Figure 19. "Beach Beam " units...Alternatives, Phase B Tests of “Beach Beams ” and “Beach Prisms” were inconclusive. These structures deemed unsuitable for Wallops Island. 8 May 1992

TESTING A BEACH BACTERIA MODEL IN LAKE MICHIGAN AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

EPA Science Inventory

Beach closures due to high bacterial concentrations deprive the public and disrupt the tourist industry. Almost half the Lake Michigan beaches are closed more than 10% of the time. In 1999 the six-mile long beach in Huntington Beach, California was closed in July and August. Due ...

College students' binge drinking at a beach-front destination during spring break.

PubMed

Smeaton, G L; Josiam, B M; Dietrich, U C

1998-05-01

Four hundred forty-two women and 341 men were surveyed at Panama City Beach, Florida, to assess the effects of gender, age, fraternity or sorority membership, and travel motivation on alcohol consumption and binge drinking during spring break. The mean number of drinks consumed the previous day was 18 for men and 10 for women; 91.7% of the men and 78.1% of the women had participated in a binge-drinking episode during the previous day. Respondents less than 21 years old consumed less alcohol and reported significantly lower frequencies of intoxication than those over 21. The men's reported levels of alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and intoxication to the point of sickness were significantly higher than the women's, but fraternity or sorority membership was not associated with higher levels of consumption. Students motivated to visit the specific destination because of its "party" reputation consumed significantly more alcohol than students who cited other reasons for going there.

Genetic assessment of connectivity in the common reef sponge, Callyspongia vaginalis (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida) reveals high population structure along the Florida reef tract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debiasse, M. B.; Richards, V. P.; Shivji, M. S.

2010-03-01

The genetic population structure of the common branching vase sponge, Callyspongia vaginalis, was determined along the entire length (465 km) of the Florida reef system from Palm Beach to the Dry Tortugas based on sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene. Populations of C. vaginalis were highly structured (overall ΦST = 0.33), in some cases over distances as small as tens of kilometers. However, nonsignificant pairwise ΦST values were also found between a few relatively distant sampling sites suggesting that some long distance larval dispersal may occur via ocean currents or transport in sponge fragments along continuous, shallow coastlines. Indeed, sufficient gene flow appears to occur along the Florida reef tract to obscure a signal of isolation by distance, but not to homogenize COI haplotype frequencies. The strong genetic differentiation among most of the sampling locations suggests that recruitment in this species is largely local source-driven, pointing to the importance of further elucidating general connectivity patterns along the Florida reef tract to guide the spatial scale of management efforts.

Strategic Placement of Mixed Sediment in the Form of a Nearshore Berm along Fort Myers Beach, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-28

reusable and sustainable placement site. 6. The nearshore berm will allow increased shore protection from large waves breaking and attenuating on the berm...maintenance in 1986, 1996, and 2001 (Florida Department of Environmental Protection 2009). In the past, as part of regional sediment management, sediment...Environmental Protection 2009). Figure 1. Study area and survey line locations. Sanibel Island (to the northwest of Estero Island) shelters Fort

Exploring the social dimension of sandy beaches through predictive modelling.

PubMed

Domínguez-Tejo, Elianny; Metternicht, Graciela; Johnston, Emma L; Hedge, Luke

2018-05-15

Sandy beaches are unique ecosystems increasingly exposed to human-induced pressures. Consistent with emerging frameworks promoting this holistic approach towards beach management, is the need to improve the integration of social data into management practices. This paper aims to increase understanding of links between demographics and community values and preferred beach activities, as key components of the social dimension of the beach environment. A mixed method approach was adopted to elucidate users' opinions on beach preferences and community values through a survey carried out in Manly Local Government Area in Sydney Harbour, Australia. A proposed conceptual model was used to frame demographic models (using age, education, employment, household income and residence status) as predictors of these two community responses. All possible regression-model combinations were compared using Akaike's information criterion. Best models were then used to calculate quantitative likelihoods of the responses, presented as heat maps. Findings concur with international research indicating the relevance of social and restful activities as important social links between the community and the beach environment. Participant's age was a significant variable in the four predictive models. The use of predictive models informed by demographics could potentially increase our understanding of interactions between the social and ecological systems of the beach environment, as a prelude to integrated beach management approaches. The research represents a practical demonstration of how demographic predictive models could support proactive approaches to beach management. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Florida Error Maps. A Resource Book for Teachers of Florida Geography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Rodney F.; And Others

Fifteen maps of Florida, each containing errors to be corrected by students, are presented for use in teaching Florida geography. Among the error maps included are Florida's borders today, the rivers of Florida, cities in the Grapefruit League, and Florida's European explorers. Teachers are encouraged to reproduce the maps and students to use the…

Recreational impacts on Colorado River beaches in Glen Canyon, Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carothers, Steven W.; Johnson, Robert A.; Dolan, Robert

1984-07-01

Recreational impact was measured on eight beaches in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and 15 beaches in Grand Canyon National Park using permanently located transects and plots. Recreational impact indices included densities of human trash and charcoal and a measure of sand discoloration due to charcoal. Significant increases in the indices occurred on several Glen Canyon beaches over a seven-month period. Sand discoloration became significantly higher over all Glen Canyon beaches during the same time period. All indices were significantly higher in Glen Canyon than on similar Grand Canyon beaches. These differences are probably due to differences in: (a) level of impacts tolerated by the respective management regimes and, (b) in the number of user days among the two National Park Service administrative units. Management alternatives are presented for reversing the present trends of recreational impact on Glen Canyon beaches.

Mangos of Florida, country contribution: Florida

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The book chapter presents a review of the historical importance of mango in Florida; geographical distribution of mangos in Florida; statistical data including total and seasonal production, main cultivars and their descriptors; cultural practices (i.e. propagation, fertilization, pruning); pests an...

Using a watershed-centric approach to identify potentially impacted beaches

EPA Science Inventory

Beaches can be affected by a variety of contaminants. Of particular concern are beaches impacted by human fecal contamination and urban runoff. This poster demonstrates a methodology to identify potentially impacted beaches using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Since h...

Changes along a seawall and natural beaches: Fourchon, LA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mossa, Joann; Nakashima, Lindsay D.

1989-01-01

This paper compares shoreline and beach morphology changes and responses to storms from 1985 to 1988 along sections of a rapidly eroding coast at the Bayou Lafourche headland, Louisiana. A beach consisting of a cement-filled bag seawall and nourishment was compared with natural beaches to the west and east of the project. Local patterns of beach response could be attributed to several recent processes and historical conditions. Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall in Mexico, caused about 70% of the sediment loss on both the artificially-stablized and the natural shorelines over this three-year period.

Macrodebris and microplastics from beaches in Slovenia.

PubMed

Laglbauer, Betty J L; Franco-Santos, Rita Melo; Andreu-Cazenave, Miguel; Brunelli, Lisa; Papadatou, Maria; Palatinus, Andreja; Grego, Mateja; Deprez, Tim

2014-12-15

The amount of marine debris in the environment is increasing worldwide, which results in an array of negative effects to biota. This study provides the first account of macrodebris on the beach and microplastics in the sediment (shoreline and infralittoral) in relation to tourism activities in Slovenia. The study assessed the quality and quantity of macrodebris and the quality, size and quantity of microplastics at six beaches, contrasting those under the influences of tourism and those that were not. Beach cleanliness was estimated using the Clean Coast Index. Tourism did not seem to have an effect on macrodebris or microplastic quantity at beaches. Over 64% of macrodebris was plastic, and microplastics were ubiquitous, which calls for classification of plastics as hazardous materials. Standard measures for marine debris assessment are needed, especially in the form of an all-encompassing debris index. Recommendations for future assessments are provided for the Adriatic region. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mixed sediment beach processes: Kachemak Bay, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruggiero, P.; Adams, P.N.; Warrick, J.A.

2007-01-01

Mixed sediment beaches are morphologically distinct from and more complex than either sand or gravel only beaches. Three digital imaging techniques are employed to quantify surficial grain size and bedload sediment transport rates along the mixed sediment beaches of Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Applying digital imaging procedures originally developed for quickly and efficiently quantifying grain sizes of sand to coarse sediment classes gives promising results. Hundreds of grain size estimates lead to a quantitative characterization of the region's sediment at a significant reduction in cost and time as compared to traditional techniques. Both the sand and coarse fractions on this megatidal beach mobilize into self-organized bedforms that migrate alongshore with a seasonally reflecting the temporal pattern of the alongshore component of wave power. In contrast, the gravel bedforms also migrate in the cross-shore without significant seasonally suggesting that swash asymmetry is sufficient to mobilize the gravel even during low energy summer conditions. ?? 2007 ASCE.

Beach science in the Great Lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nevers, Meredith B.; Byappanahalli, Murulee N.; Edge, Thomas A.; Whitman, Richard L.

2014-01-01

Monitoring beach waters for human health has led to an increase and evolution of science in the Great Lakes, which includes microbiology, limnology, hydrology, meteorology, epidemiology, and metagenomics, among others. In recent years, concerns over the accuracy of water quality standards at protecting human health have led to a significant interest in understanding the risk associated with water contact in both freshwater and marine environments. Historically, surface waters have been monitored for fecal indicator bacteria (fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci), but shortcomings of the analytical test (lengthy assay) have resulted in a re-focusing of scientific efforts to improve public health protection. Research has led to the discovery of widespread populations of fecal indicator bacteria present in natural habitats such as soils, beach sand, and stranded algae. Microbial source tracking has been used to identify the source of these bacteria and subsequently assess their impact on human health. As a result of many findings, attempts have been made to improve monitoring efficiency and efficacy with the use of empirical predictive models and molecular rapid tests. All along, beach managers have actively incorporated new findings into their monitoring programs. With the abundance of research conducted and information gained over the last 25 years, “Beach Science” has emerged, and the Great Lakes have been a focal point for much of the ground-breaking work. Here, we review the accumulated research on microbiological water quality of Great Lakes beaches and provide a historic context to the collaborative efforts that have advanced this emerging science.

OSPAR standard method and software for statistical analysis of beach litter data.

PubMed

Schulz, Marcus; van Loon, Willem; Fleet, David M; Baggelaar, Paul; van der Meulen, Eit

2017-09-15

The aim of this study is to develop standard statistical methods and software for the analysis of beach litter data. The optimal ensemble of statistical methods comprises the Mann-Kendall trend test, the Theil-Sen slope estimation, the Wilcoxon step trend test and basic descriptive statistics. The application of Litter Analyst, a tailor-made software for analysing the results of beach litter surveys, to OSPAR beach litter data from seven beaches bordering on the south-eastern North Sea, revealed 23 significant trends in the abundances of beach litter types for the period 2009-2014. Litter Analyst revealed a large variation in the abundance of litter types between beaches. To reduce the effects of spatial variation, trend analysis of beach litter data can most effectively be performed at the beach or national level. Spatial aggregation of beach litter data within a region is possible, but resulted in a considerable reduction in the number of significant trends. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Virginia Beach shallow ground-water study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Henry M.

1999-01-01

IntroductionVirginia Beach is a rapidly growing city of more than 425,000 people. Sources of fresh water within the city, however, are limited. Prior to 1998, the Virginia Beach Public Utilities Department met the city's water needs by purchasing treated drinking water from the City of Norfolk. Because Norfolk had to meet its own requirements, the amount of water available to Virginia Beach was limited to about 30 million gallons per day (mgd) and even less during droughts. This water supply was supplemented with ground water from city-owned, community, and private wells. In many parts of the city, however, ground water cannot be used because of high concentrations of chloride, iron, and (or) sulfur, which give the water an unpleasant taste.In early 1998, a pipeline came on-line that can carry up to 45 mgd of water from Lake Gaston to Virginia Beach. The Gaston pipeline has alleviated concerns about water supply and quality for most residents living north of the "Green Line." These residents primarily use ground water only for small-scale domestic activities such as watering lawns, filling ponds and pools, and washing cars. City water and sewer services have been extended beyond the Green Line into the "Transition Area." Residents and businesses south of the Transition Area, however, continue to rely on ground water to meet most of their needs for potable and non-potable water. To help assure a continued, reliable supply of ground water, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Virginia Beach Public Utilities Department, has begun an assessment of the shallow ground-water resources underlying the City of Virginia Beach.

The Early Childhood Cluster Initiative of Palm Beach County, Florida. Early Implementation Study And Evaluability Assessment. Final Report. Chapin Hall Working Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spielberger, Julie; Goyette, Paul

2006-01-01

This publication reports findings from the first year of an implementation study of the Early Childhood Cluster Initiative (ECCI). ECCI is a prekindergarten program in ten elementary schools and a community child care center in Palm Beach County, based on the design of the High/Scope Perry Preschool model. The initiative is characterized by low…

Gone to the Beach — Using GIS to infer how people value ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Estimating the non-market value of beaches for saltwater recreation is complex. An individual’s preference for a beach depends on their perception of beach characteristics. When choosing one beach over another, an individual balances these personal preferences with any additional costs including travel time and/or fees to access the beach. This trade-off can be used to infer how people value different beach characteristics; especially when beaches are free to the public, beach value estimates rely heavily on accurate travel times. A current case study focused on public access on Cape Cod, MA will be used to demonstrate how travel costs can be used to determine the service area of different beaches, and model expected use of those beaches based on demographics. We will describe several of the transportation networks and route services available and compare a few based on their ability to meet our specific requirements of scale and seasonal travel time accuracy. We are currently developing a recreational demand model, based on visitation data and beach characteristics, that will allow decision makers to predict the benefits of different levels of water quality improvement. An important part of that model is the time required for potential recreation participants to get to different beaches. This presentation will describe different ways to estimate travel times and the advantages/disadvantages for our particular application. It will go on to outline how freely a

Can beaches survive climate change?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vitousek, Sean; Barnard, Patrick L.; Limber, Patrick W.

2017-01-01

Anthropogenic climate change is driving sea level rise, leading to numerous impacts on the coastal zone, such as increased coastal flooding, beach erosion, cliff failure, saltwater intrusion in aquifers, and groundwater inundation. Many beaches around the world are currently experiencing chronic erosion as a result of gradual, present-day rates of sea level rise (about 3 mm/year) and human-driven restrictions in sand supply (e.g., harbor dredging and river damming). Accelerated sea level rise threatens to worsen coastal erosion and challenge the very existence of natural beaches throughout the world. Understanding and predicting the rates of sea level rise and coastal erosion depends on integrating data on natural systems with computer simulations. Although many computer modeling approaches are available to simulate shoreline change, few are capable of making reliable long-term predictions needed for full adaption or to enhance resilience. Recent advancements have allowed convincing decadal to centennial-scale predictions of shoreline evolution. For example, along 500 km of the Southern California coast, a new model featuring data assimilation predicts that up to 67% of beaches may completely erode by 2100 without large-scale human interventions. In spite of recent advancements, coastal evolution models must continue to improve in their theoretical framework, quantification of accuracy and uncertainty, computational efficiency, predictive capability, and integration with observed data, in order to meet the scientific and engineering challenges produced by a changing climate.

Temporal shift of sea turtle nest sites in an eroding barrier island beach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fujisaki, Ikuko; Lamont, Margaret M.; Carthy, Raymond R.

2018-01-01

Shoreline changes affect functionality of a sandy beach as a wildlife habitat and coastal erosion is among the primary causes of the changes. We examined temporal shifts in locations where loggerheads placed nests in relation to coastal erosion along a barrier island beach in the northern Gulf of Mexico. We first confirmed consistency in long-term (1855–2001), short-term (1976–2001), and more recent (2002–2012) shoreline change rates in two adjacent beach sections, one historically eroding (west beach) and the other accreting (east beach). The mean annual shoreline change rate in the two sections was significantly different in all time periods. The recent (1998–2012) mean change rate was −10.9 ± 9.9 m/year in the west beach and −2.8 ± 4.9 m/year in the east beach, which resulted in the loss of about 70% and 30% of area in the west and east beaches, respectively. Loggerheads nested significantly closer to the vegetation line in 2012 than in 2002 in the west beach but the difference between the two time periods was not significant in the east beach. However, the distance from nests to the vegetation line from 2002 to 2014 was significantly reduced annually in both beaches; on average, loggerheads nested closer to the vegetation line by 9 m/year in the west beach and 5.8 m/year in the east beach. The observed shoreline change rate and corresponding shift of nest placement sites, combined with the forecasted future beach loss, highlighted the importance of addressing the issue of beach erosion to conserve sandy beach habitats.

Quality of Ground Water in the Biscayne Aquifer in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, Florida, 1996-1998, with Emphasis on Contaminants

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Blasland, Bouck, and Lee, Inc., 1992), arsenic and copper used as fungicide on grape - fruit and as a wood preservative (Sherwood and others, 1973), and...for nematode control (400 pounds per acre from Noling and Gilreath, 1998) would provide 44.8 grams per square meter to the soil. The decomposition... nematode control: A south Florida synopsis: Gainesville, University of Florida, Institute for Food and Agricultural Science: accessed October 8, 2002

Presence of Campylobacter and Salmonella in sand from bathing beaches.

PubMed Central

Bolton, F. J.; Surman, S. B.; Martin, K.; Wareing, D. R.; Humphrey, T. J.

1999-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. in sand from non-EEC standard and EEC standard designated beaches in different locations in the UK and to assess if potentially pathogenic strains were present. Campylobacter spp. were detected in 82/182 (45%) of sand samples and Salmonella spp. in 10/182 (6%). Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 46/92 (50%) of samples from non-EEC standard beaches and 36/90 (40%) from EEC standard beaches. The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. was greater in wet sand from both types of beaches but, surprisingly, more than 30% of samples from dry sand also contained these organisms. The major pathogenic species C. jejuni and C. coli were more prevalent in sand from non-EEC standard beaches. In contrast, C. lari and urease positive thermophilic campylobacters, which are associated with seagulls and other migratory birds, were more prevalent in sand from EEC standard beaches. Campylobacter isolates were further characterized by biotyping and serotyping, which confirmed that strains known to be of types associated with human infections were frequently found in sand on bathing beaches. PMID:10098779

Presence of Campylobacter and Salmonella in sand from bathing beaches.

PubMed

Bolton, F J; Surman, S B; Martin, K; Wareing, D R; Humphrey, T J

1999-02-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. in sand from non-EEC standard and EEC standard designated beaches in different locations in the UK and to assess if potentially pathogenic strains were present. Campylobacter spp. were detected in 82/182 (45%) of sand samples and Salmonella spp. in 10/182 (6%). Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 46/92 (50%) of samples from non-EEC standard beaches and 36/90 (40%) from EEC standard beaches. The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. was greater in wet sand from both types of beaches but, surprisingly, more than 30% of samples from dry sand also contained these organisms. The major pathogenic species C. jejuni and C. coli were more prevalent in sand from non-EEC standard beaches. In contrast, C. lari and urease positive thermophilic campylobacters, which are associated with seagulls and other migratory birds, were more prevalent in sand from EEC standard beaches. Campylobacter isolates were further characterized by biotyping and serotyping, which confirmed that strains known to be of types associated with human infections were frequently found in sand on bathing beaches.

Pore Water Transport of Enterococci out of Beach Sediments

PubMed Central

Phillips, Matthew C.; Solo-Gabriele, Helena M.; Reniers, Adrianus J. H. M.; Wang, John D.; Kiger, Russell T.; Abdel-Mottaleb, Noha

2011-01-01

Enterococci are used to evaluate the safety of beach waters and studies have identified beach sands as a source of these bacteria. In order to study and quantify the release of microbes from beach sediments, flow column systems were built to evaluate flow of pore water out of beach sediments. Results show a peak in enterococci (average of 10% of the total microbes in core) released from the sand core within one pore water volume followed by a marked decline to below detection. These results indicate that few enterococci are easily removed and that factors other than simple pore water flow control the release of the majority of enterococci within beach sediments. A significantly larger quantity and release of enterococci were observed in cores collected after a significant rain event suggesting the influx of fresh water can alter the release pattern as compared to cores with no antecedent rainfall. PMID:21945015

Understanding beach health throughout the Great Lakes-Entering a new era of investigations

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2010-01-01

For over a decade, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been a leader in the science of beach health. The overall mission of this work is to provide science-based information and methods that will allow beach managers to more accurately make beach closure and advisory decisions, understand the sources and physical processes affecting beach contaminants, and understand how science-based information can be used to mitigate and restore beaches and protect the public. The work consists of four science elements-real-time assessments; pathogens and microbial source tracking; coastal processes; and data analysis, interpretation, and communication - which are described in this fact sheet. Some of the key questions for USGS beach research are the following: Are there better ways to inform the public whether they can use a beach without risking their health? How do new rapid analytical methods compare to traditional methods for determining concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria at beaches? Are pathogens present at beaches and, if so, how do they get to the beach, and what is their source? How do sand movement and wave action on the beach affect fecal-indicator-bacteria and pathogen concentrations in the lake water? What are the best indicators of pathogenic microorganisms? With so many potential sources of fecal contamination at a beach, what methods can be used to distinguish the contributions from humans? What characteristics of beaches contribute most to influencing bacterial indicator and pathogen concentrations in beach sands and groundwater?

Beach recovery after 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami from Phang-nga, Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choowong, Montri; Phantuwongraj, Sumet; Charoentitirat, Thasinee; Chutakositkanon, Vichai; Yumuang, Sombat; Charusiri, Punya

2009-03-01

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated the coastal areas along the Andaman western coast of Thailand and left unique physical evidence of its impact, including the erosional landforms of the pre-tsunami topography. Here we show the results from monitoring the natural recovery of beach areas at Khuk Khak and Bang Niang tidal channels of Khao Lak area, Phang-nga, Thailand. A series of satellite images before and after the tsunami event was employed for calculating the beach area and locating the position of the changed shoreline. Field surveys to follow-up the development of the post-tsunami beach area were conducted from 2005 to 2007 and the yearly beach profile was measured in 2006. As a result, the scoured beach areas where the tidal channel inlets were located underwent continuous recovery. The return of post-tsunami sediments within the beach zone was either achieved by normal wind and wave processes or during the storm surges in the rainy season. Post-2004 beach sediments were derived mainly from near offshore sources. The present situation of the beach zone has almost completed reversion back to the equilibrium stage and this has occurred within 2 years after the tsunami event. We suggest these results provide a better understanding of the geomorphological process involved in beach recovery after severe erosion such as by tsunami events.

Aeolian sand transport over complex intertidal bar-trough beach topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anthony, Edward J.; Ruz, Marie-Hélène; Vanhée, Stéphane

2009-04-01

Aeolian sand transport on macrotidal beaches with complex intertidal bar-trough topography (ridge-and-runnel beaches) was assessed from experiments in northern France that involved measurements of wind speed, saltation, surface moisture contents, and rates of sand trapping across surveyed portions of the upper beach profile. Beaches exhibiting intertidal bars and troughs are much more complex, topographically, than simple reflective or dissipative beaches. Furthermore, the intertidal bar-trough morphology commonly exhibits strong cross-shore variations in the moisture contents of the beach surface and in patterns of bedform development. The results of four 30-minute experiments, conducted along topographically surveyed portions of the upper beach-dune toe profile, show that troughs act as extremely efficient sand interceptors, because of their permanently saturated state, which also inhibits sand mobilisation. Troughs, thus, limit or segment the dry fetch during conditions of intermittent saltation. Flow lines, inferred from the wind profiles, suggest that complex interactions at the boundary layer are generated by the bar-trough topography. Troughs systematically appear to be characterised by air expansion, while bar faces generate ramp wind acceleration for onshore winds, and sometimes immediate downwind deceleration for offshore winds. These effects may also contribute to cross-shore variations in the rates of sand trapping. Finally, a simple conceptual model of effective fetch development, integrating the effects of the spring-neap tidal range and of gross bar-trough morphological variability over time, is proposed for bar-trough beaches. The model highlights the key theme of fetch segmentation induced by cross-shore differentiation in the moisture contents of the beach surface hinged on the complex topography of multiple bars and troughs.

Behavioural adaptations in talitrids from two Atlantic beaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossano, Claudia; Gambineri, Simone; Fanini, Lucia; Durier, Virginie; Rivault, Colette; Scapini, Felicita

2009-12-01

The aim of the present study was to test sun orientation and rhythmic activity of two sandhopper populations from two Atlantic macro-tidal beaches. A population from Le Verger beach (orientated to 346°, Ille et Vilaine, Brittany, France) and a population from Damgan (orientated to 195°, Morbihan, Brittany, France), were tested on the beach under clear sky discriminating for landscape vision. For both populations locomotor activity rhythm was recorded in the laboratory. The two beaches differed for climatic features, tidal range and for human use. Both talitrid populations resulted very well orientated toward the shoreline, and both used solar position and landscape vision to orient. However the multiple regression analysis of orientation with climatic features showed a different use of local cues by the two populations and a slight influence of tidal regime (ebbing and rising tide), in spite of the supralittoral zonation of sandhoppers. In the laboratory they showed a well defined rhythmic behaviour as well as a bimodal rhythmicity, explained as a tidal one. These results are a new brick in the complex picture of orientation and rhythm studies on sandy beach invertebrates.

Winter mortality of common loons in Florida coastal waters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Forrester, Donald J.; Davidson, W.R.; Lange, R.E.; Stroud, R.K.; Alexander, L.L.; Franson, J.C.; Haseltine, S.D.; Littell, R.C.; Nesbitt, S.A.

1997-01-01

Diagnostic findings are presented for 434 common loons (Gavia imrner) found sick or dead on Florida beaches from 1970 through 1994, primarily during the months of December to April. The most commonly recognized problem was an emaciation syndrome (66%), followed by oiling (18%), aspergillosis (7%), trauma (5%) and miscellaneous disease entities (1%). The cause-of-death for 3% of the birds was not determined. Many of the carcasses examined (n = 173) were obtained during an epizootic which occurred from January to March of 1983 in which more than 13,000 loons were estimated to have died. An emaciation syndrome, characterized by severe atrophy of pectoral muscles, loss of body fat and hemorrhagic enteritis, was the primary finding in this epizootic. It was postulated to have a complex etiologic basis involving synergistic effects and energy costs of migration, molting and replacement of flight feathers, food resource changes, salt-loading, intestinal parasitism, environmental contaminants, and inclement weather.

Evaluation of beach cleanup effects using linear system analysis.

PubMed

Kataoka, Tomoya; Hinata, Hirofumi

2015-02-15

We established a method for evaluating beach cleanup effects (BCEs) based on a linear system analysis, and investigated factors determining BCEs. Here we focus on two BCEs: decreasing the total mass of toxic metals that could leach into a beach from marine plastics and preventing the fragmentation of marine plastics on the beach. Both BCEs depend strongly on the average residence time of marine plastics on the beach (τ(r)) and the period of temporal variability of the input flux of marine plastics (T). Cleanups on the beach where τ(r) is longer than T are more effective than those where τ(r) is shorter than T. In addition, both BCEs are the highest near the time when the remnants of plastics reach the local maximum (peak time). Therefore, it is crucial to understand the following three factors for effective cleanups: the average residence time, the plastic input period and the peak time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

103. VIEW OF BEACH STRUCTURES ON NORTHWEST SIDE OF PIER, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

103. VIEW OF BEACH STRUCTURES ON NORTHWEST SIDE OF PIER, LOOKING SOUTHEAST; PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY CAR (UPPER LEFT), CONCESSION STANDS (LOWER LEFT), BANDSHELL (RIGHT), AND PIER IN BACKGROUND Photograph #5352-HB. Photographer unknown, c. 1914 - Huntington Beach Municipal Pier, Pacific Coast Highway at Main Street, Huntington Beach, Orange County, CA

Reading Ombrone river delta evolution through beach ridges morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mammi, Irene; Piccardi, Marco; Pranzini, Enzo; Rossi, Lorenzo

2017-04-01

The present study focuses on the evolution of the Ombrone River delta (Southern Tuscany, Italy) in the last five centuries, when fluvial sediment input was huge also as a consequence of the deforestation performed on the watershed. The aim of this study is to find a correlation between river input and beach ridges morphology and to explain the different distribution of wetlands and sand deposits on the two sides of the delta. Visible, NIR and TIR satellite images were processed to retrieve soil wetness associated to sand ridges and interdune silty deposits. High resolution LiDAR data were analysed using vegetation filter and GIS enhancement algorithms in order to highlight small morphological variations, especially in areas closer to the river where agriculture has almost deleted these morphologies. A topographic survey and a very high resolution 3D model obtained from a set of images acquired by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) were carried out in selected sites, both to calibrate satellite LiDAR 3D data, and to map low relief areas. Historical maps, aerial photography and written documents were analysed for dating ancient shorelines associated to specific beach ridges. Thus allowing the reconstruction of erosive and accretive phases of the delta. Seventy beach ridges were identified on the two wings of the delta. On the longer down-drift side (Northern wing) beach ridges are more spaced at the apex and gradually converge to the extremity, where the Bruna River runs and delimits the sub aerial depositional area of the Ombrone River. On the shorter up-drift lobe (Southern wing), beach ridges are closer, but run almost parallel each other. In this case, a rocky headland called Collelungo promontory closes and cuts the beach ridges sequence but shallow water depth allows sediment by pass. One kilometre to the south a more pronounced promontory encloses a small pocket beach (Cala di Forno) and identifies the limit of the subaerial depositionary area. Beach ridges

Beach Observations using Quadcopter Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yi-Chung; Wang, Hsing-Yu; Fang, Hui-Ming; Hsiao, Sung-Shan; Tsai, Cheng-Han

2017-04-01

Beaches are the places where the interaction of the land and sea takes place, and it is under the influence of many environmental factors, including meteorological and oceanic ones. To understand the evolution or changes of beaches, it may require constant monitoring. One way to monitor the beach changes is to use optical cameras. With careful placements of ground control points, land-based optical cameras, which are inexpensive compared to other remote sensing apparatuses, can be used to survey a relatively large area in a short time. For example, we have used terrestrial optical cameras incorporated with ground control points to monitor beaches. The images from the cameras were calibrated by applying the direct linear transformation, projective transformation, and Sobel edge detector to locate the shoreline. The terrestrial optical cameras can record the beach images continuous, and the shorelines can be satisfactorily identified. However, the terrestrial cameras have some limitations. First, the camera system set a sufficiently high level so that the camera can cover the whole area that is of interest; such a location may not be available. The second limitation is that objects in the image have a different resolution, depending on the distance of objects from the cameras. To overcome these limitations, the present study tested a quadcopter equipped with a down-looking camera to record video and still images of a beach. The quadcopter can be controlled to hover at one location. However, the hovering of the quadcopter can be affected by the wind, since it is not positively anchored to a structure. Although the quadcopter has a gimbal mechanism to damp out tiny shakings of the copter, it will not completely counter movements due to the wind. In our preliminary tests, we have flown the quadcopter up to 500 m high to record 10-minnte video. We then took a 10-minute average of the video data. The averaged image of the coast was blurred because of the time duration of

Planview Geometry and morphological characteristics of pocket beaches on the Catalan coast (Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, D.; Guillén, J.; López, L.; Pellegrino, V.

2009-07-01

Coastal planform studies are a relevant initial stage before launching detailed dynamic field experiments. The aim of this study is to define the planform characteristics of 72 Catalan pocket beaches, natural and man-made, and to determine their sheltering effect, embaymentization and their status of equilibrium. Planform measurements were performed on SIGPAC, 1:5000 orthophoto sets and wave climate was provided by Puertos del Estado (Wana model). Planform parameters were applied and coastal planview indexes were determined. The study shows that the Catalan pocket beaches display a wide range of indentation, suggesting that no single structural, tectonic or morphological control dominates their planform. The man-made pocket beaches typically display indentations which are smaller than those shown by natural pocket beaches. Headland spacing and beach area are positively correlated. The more indented bays are, the shorter their beaches become. Low-indented pocket beaches are the widest and the longest ones. Deep indentation contributes towards beach protection and energy dissipation which counteracts rip efficiency and inhibits the formation of mega-rips. Pocket beaches often show gradual and moderate alongshore changes in texture and beach morphology. One third of the Catalan pocket beaches are "sediment starved", i.e., 60% and more of their embayed shorelines are deprived of beach sediments. Examination of the status of equilibrium demonstrates that most of the Catalan pocket beaches are in an unstable mode, with indentation ratios that are unrelated to the wave obliquity.

Close-range airborne Structure-from-Motion Photogrammetry for high-resolution beach morphometric surveys: Examples from an embayed rotating beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunier, Guillaume; Fleury, Jules; Anthony, Edward J.; Gardel, Antoine; Dussouillez, Philippe

2016-05-01

The field of photogrammetry has seen significant new developments essentially related to the emergence of new computer-based applications that have fostered the growth of the workflow technique called Structure-from-Motion (SfM). Low-cost, user-friendly SfM photogrammetry offers interesting new perspectives in coastal and other fields of geomorphology requiring high-resolution topographic data. The technique enables the construction of topographic products such as digital surface models (DSMs) and orthophotographs, and combines the advantages of the reproducibility of GPS surveys and the high density and accuracy of airborne LiDAR, but at very advantageous cost compared to the latter. Three SfM-based photogrammetric experiments were conducted on the embayed beach of Montjoly in Cayenne, French Guiana, between October 2013 and 2014, in order to map morphological changes and quantify sediment budgets. The beach is affected by a process of rotation induced by the alongshore migration of mud banks from the mouths of the Amazon River that generate spatial and temporal changes in wave refraction and incident wave angles, thus generating the reversals in longshore drift that characterise this process. Sub-vertical aerial photographs of the beach were acquired from a microlight aircraft that flew alongshore at low elevation (275 m). The flight plan included several parallel flight axes with an overlap of 85% between pictures in the lengthwise direction and 50% between paths. Targets of 40 × 40 cm, georeferenced by RTK-DGPS, were placed on the beach, spaced 100 m apart. These targets served in optimizing the model and in producing georeferenced 3D products. RTK-GPS measurements of random points and cross-shore profiles were used to validate the photogrammetry results and assess their accuracy. We produced dense point clouds with 150 to 200 points/m², from which we generated DSMs and orthophotos with respective resolutions of 10 cm and 5 cm. Compared to the GPS control

THE VISUAL BEACH NUMERICAL MODEL: A DIAGNOSTIC AND PROGNOSTIC MODELING APPROACH TO ACHIEVING US BEACHES AESTHETIC AND PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECTION

EPA Science Inventory

Under the BEACH Act of 2000, EPA has committed to a program to monitor beach water quality and develop strategies, including modeling, for timely notification of the public when bacterial contamination poses a risk to bathers. EPA's goal is to manage 100% of significant public be...

Water quality, weather and environmental factors associated with fecal indicator organism density in beach sand at two recreational marine beaches.

PubMed

Heaney, Christopher D; Exum, Natalie G; Dufour, Alfred P; Brenner, Kristen P; Haugland, Richard A; Chern, Eunice; Schwab, Kellogg J; Love, David C; Serre, Marc L; Noble, Rachel; Wade, Timothy J

2014-11-01

Recent studies showing an association between fecal indicator organisms (FIOs) in sand and gastrointestinal (GI) illness among beachgoers with sand contact have important public health implications because of the large numbers of people who recreate at beaches and engage in sand contact activities. Yet, factors that influence fecal pollution in beach sand remain unclear. During the 2007 National Epidemiological and Environmental Assessment of Recreational (NEEAR) Water Study, sand samples were collected at three locations (60 m apart) on weekend days (Sat, Sun) and holidays between June and September at two marine beaches - Fairhope Beach, AL and Goddard Beach, RI - with nearby publicly-owned treatment works (POTWs) outfalls. F(+) coliphage, enterococci, Bacteroidales, fecal Bacteroides spp., and Clostridium spp. were measured in sand using culture and qPCR-based calibrator-cell equivalent methods. Water samples were also collected on the same days, times and transects as the 144 sand samples and were assayed using the same FIO measurements. Weather and environmental data were collected at the time of sample collection. Mean FIO concentrations in sand varied over time, but not space. Enterococci CFU and CCE densities in sand were not correlated, although other FIOs in sand were. The strongest correlation between FIO density in sand and water was fecal Bacteroides CCE, followed by enterococci CFU, Clostridium spp. CCE, and Bacteroidales CCE. Overall, the factors associated with FIO concentrations in sand were related to the sand-water interface (i.e., sand-wetting) and included daily average densities of FIOs in water, rainfall, and wave height. Targeted monitoring that focuses on daily trends of sand FIO variability, combined with information about specific water quality, weather, and environmental factors may inform beach monitoring and management decisions to reduce microbial burdens in beach sand. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do

Hydrogeology and simulation of ground-water flow near the Lantana Landfill, Palm Beach County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Russell, G.M.; Wexler, E.J.

1993-01-01

The Lantana landfill in Palm Beach County has a surface that is 40 to 50 feet above original ground level and consists of about 250 acres of compacted garbage and trash. Parts of the landfill are below the water table. Surface-resistivity measurements and water-quality analyses indicate that leachate-enriched ground water along the eastern perimeter of the landfill has moved about 500 feet eastward toward an adjacent lake. Concentrations of chloride and nutrients within the leachate-enriched ground water were greater than background concentrations. The surficial aquifer system in the area of the landfill consists primarily of sand of moderate permeability, from land surface to a depth of about 68 feet deep, and consists of sand interbedded with sandstone and limestone of high permeability from a depth of about 68 feet to a depth of 200 feet. The potentiometric surface in the landfill is higher than that in adjacent areas to the east, indicating ground-water movement from the landfill toward a lake to the east. Steady-state simulation of ground-water flow was made using a telescoping-grid technique where a model covering a large area is used to determine boundaries and fluxes for a finer scale model. A regional flow model encompassing a 500-square mile area in southeastern Palm Beach County was used to calculate ground-water fluxes in a 126.5-square mile subregional area. Boundary fluxes calculated by the subregional model were then used to calculate boundary fluxes for a local model of the 3.75-square mile area representing the Lantana landfill site and vicinity. Input data required for simulating ground-water flow in the study area were obtained from the regional flow models, thus, effectively coupling the models. Additional simulations were made using the local flow model to predict effects of possible remedial actions on the movement of solutes in the ground-water system. Possible remedial actions simulated included capping the landfill with an impermeable layer

Synthesis study of an erosion hot spot, Ocean Beach, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnard, Patrick L.; Hansen, Jeff E.; Erikson, Li H.

2012-01-01

A synthesis of multiple coastal morphodynamic research efforts is presented to identify the processes responsible for persistent erosion along a 1-km segment of 7-km-long Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California. The beach is situated adjacent to a major tidal inlet and in the shadow of the ebb-tidal delta at the mouth of San Francisco Bay. Ocean Beach is exposed to a high-energy wave climate and significant alongshore variability in forcing introduced by varying nearshore bathymetry, tidal forcing, and beach morphology (e.g., beach variably backed by seawall, dunes, and bluffs). In addition, significant regional anthropogenic factors have influenced sediment supply and tidal current strength. A variety of techniques were employed to investigate the erosion at Ocean Beach, including historical shoreline and bathymetric analysis, monthly beach topographic surveys, nearshore and regional bathymetric surveys, beach and nearshore grain size analysis, two surf-zone hydrodynamic experiments, four sets of nearshore wave and current experiments, and several numerical modeling approaches. Here, we synthesize the results of 7 years of data collection to lay out the causes of persistent erosion, demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating an array of data sets covering a huge range of spatial scales. The key findings are as follows: anthropogenic influences have reduced sediment supply from San Francisco Bay, leading to pervasive contraction (i.e., both volume and area loss) of the ebb-tidal delta, which in turn reduced the regional grain size and modified wave focusing patterns along Ocean Beach, altering nearshore circulation and sediment transport patterns. In addition, scour associated with an exposed sewage outfall pipe causes a local depression in wave heights, significantly modifying nearshore circulation patterns that have been shown through modeling to be key drivers of persistent erosion in that area.

An evaluation of beached bird monitoring approaches.

PubMed

Seys, Jan; Offringa, Henk; Van Waeyenberge, Jeroen; Meire, Patrick; Kuijken, Eckhart

2002-04-01

Oil-pollution monitoring at sea through beach bird surveying would undoubtedly benefit from a further standardisation of methods, enhancing the efficiency of data collection. In order to come up with useful recommendations, we evaluated various approaches of beached bird collection at the Belgian coast during seven winters (1993-1999). Data received in a passive way by one major rehabilitation centre were compared to the results of targeted beach surveys carried out at different scales by trained ornithologists: 'weekly' surveys - with a mean interval of 9 days - restricted to a fixed 16.7 km beach stretch, 'monthly' surveys over the entire coastline (62.1 km) and an annual 'international' survey in Belgium over the same distance at the end of February. Data collected through Belgian rehabilitation centres concern injured, living birds collected in a non-systematical way. Oil rates derived from these centres appear to be strongly biased to oiled auks and inshore bird species, and are hence of little use in assessing the extent of oil pollution at sea. The major asset of rehabilitation centres in terms of data collection seems to be their continuous warning function for events of mass mortality. Weekly surveys on a representative and large enough section rendered reliable data on oil rates, estimates of total number of bird victims, representation of various taxonomic groups and species-richness and were most sensitive in detecting events quickly (wrecks, oil-slicks, severe winter mortality, etc.). Monthly surveys gave comparable results, although they overlooked some important beaching events and demonstrated slightly higher oil rates, probably due to the higher chance to miss short-lasting wrecks of auks. Since the monthly surveys in Belgium were carried out by a network of volunteers and were spread over a larger beach section, they should be considered as best performing. Single 'international beached bird surveys' in February gave reliable data on total victim

Evaluation of Bajo Blanco Sandbar as a Potential Beach Nourishment Borrow Site for Eroding Beaches in Rincon, Puerto Rico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rojas, C. A.; Canals, M.

2016-02-01

The municipality of Rincón, Puerto Rico is recognized for its world-class surfing beaches. Unfortunately, the coast from Punta Higüero to Punta Cadena in Rincón is experiencing long-term erosion (Thieler 2007), which has caused the destruction of many beachfront homes and hotels and had negative impacts on the local tourism-driven economy. The purpose of this project is to evaluate whether the nearby Bajo Blanco sandbar, located just offshore of these eroded beaches, could be used as a possible beach nourishment borrow site. A high-resolution bathymetric survey of Bajo Blanco sandbar was conducted along with a grain size analysis to compare the grain size distribution of the Bajo Blanco sandbar with the sediment properties of the eroded beaches. It was found that the sediment from Bajo Blanco is finer yet may be suitable as beach fill material for these beaches according to Dean's overfill ratio. Compatibility analysis suggests a total volume of sandbar sediment of approximately 685,555 cubic meters to allow successful beach equilibrium. To evaluate the potential effects of the sand extraction on the nearshore wave climate, numerical simulations were performed using the spectral wave model of the USACE Coastal Modeling System (CMS-Wave). Wave model results for several dredging scenarios suggest that wave energy flux concentrates around the shoal causing an increase in wave height at the northern and southern edges of the shoal. Therefore, conservation of energy leads to a reduction of wave energy flux shoreward of the shoal, causing a shadow of reduced wave height. In addition, the Tres Palmas Marine reserve is located just north of Bajo Blanco sandbar and features some of the healthiest Elkorn Corals in the Caribbean. To avoid excessive sedimentation of these reefs during dredging activities, the Particle Tracking Module (PTM), integrated in the Surface-water Modeling System (SMS), was used to evaluate the Lagrangian particle transport processes along Bajo

Beach ridge sedimentology: field observation and palaeoenvironmental interpretation for Anegada Island, British Virgin Islands.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cescon, Anna Lisa; Cooper, J. Andrew G.; Jackson, Derek W. T.

2014-05-01

Beach ridge landforms have been observed in different environments and in settings that range from polar to tropical. Their stratigraphy and sedimentology has received a limited amount of discussion in the literature (Tamura, 2012). In coastal geomorphology a beach ridge can be seen as a transitional deposit between onshore and offshore environments. They are regarded as representing high level wave action along a coastline. In the Caribbean the origin of beach ridges has been variously attributed to one of three extreme wave events: extreme swell, extreme storm or tsunami waves. Beach ridges are arranged in beach ridge plains where there is succession of the landforms and can be several kilometres long. Beach ridge accumulation is not continuous and the coast shows alternating accretion and erosion periods. The use of beach ridges as palaeostorm archives is therefore not straightforward. The temporal continuity of beach ridge formation is being assessed on the beach ridge plains of Anegada, British Virgin Islands (Lesser Antilles). This carbonate platform surrounded by a fringing reef contains two beach ridge plains. There are more than 30 ridges in the Atlantic facing- coast and around 10 in the south, Caribbean- facing coast. The sediments of the modern beaches are dominated by the sand fraction and are 100% biogenic origin due to the isolation of Anegada from terrestrial sediment sources. The beach ridge sections have been studied in different area of Anegada beach ridge plains and present low angle seaward-dipping bedding. The sand fraction is dominant in the stratigraphy with a few intact shells. At only one site were coral pebbles deposited in association with the sand fraction. Aeolian deposits represent the upper part of the beach ridges and reflect the stabilization of the beach ridges with ongoing accretion. The sedimentology of the contemporary beach and dunes will be discussed in terms of their implications for understanding beach ridge genesis and its

Quantification of Massive Seasonal Aggregations of Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) in Southeast Florida

PubMed Central

Kajiura, Stephen M.; Tellman, Shari L.

2016-01-01

Southeast Florida witnesses an enormous seasonal influx of upper trophic level marine predators each year as massive aggregations of migrating blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) overwinter in nearshore waters. The narrow shelf and close proximity of the Gulf Stream current to the Palm Beach County shoreline drive tens of thousands of sharks to the shallow, coastal environment. This natural bottleneck provides a unique opportunity to estimate relative abundance. Over a four year period from 2011–2014, an aerial survey was flown approximately biweekly along the length of Palm Beach County. A high definition video camera and digital still camera mounted out of the airplane window provided a continuous record of the belt transect which extended 200 m seaward from the shoreline between Boca Raton Inlet and Jupiter Inlet. The number of sharks within the survey transect was directly counted from the video. Shark abundance peaked in the winter (January-March) with a maximum in 2011 of 12,128 individuals counted within the 75.6 km-2 belt transect. This resulted in a maximum density of 803.2 sharks km-2. By the late spring (April-May), shark abundance had sharply declined to 1.1% of its peak, where it remained until spiking again in January of the following year. Shark abundance was inversely correlated with water temperature and large numbers of sharks were found only when water temperatures were less than 25°C. Shark abundance was also correlated with day of the year but not with barometric pressure. Although shark abundance was not correlated with photoperiod, the departure of the sharks from southeast Florida occurred around the vernal equinox. The shark migration along the United States eastern seaboard corresponds spatially and temporally with the spawning aggregations of various baitfish species. These baseline abundance data can be compared to future studies to determine if shark population size is changing and if sharks are restricting their southward

Quantification of Massive Seasonal Aggregations of Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) in Southeast Florida.

PubMed

Kajiura, Stephen M; Tellman, Shari L

2016-01-01

Southeast Florida witnesses an enormous seasonal influx of upper trophic level marine predators each year as massive aggregations of migrating blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) overwinter in nearshore waters. The narrow shelf and close proximity of the Gulf Stream current to the Palm Beach County shoreline drive tens of thousands of sharks to the shallow, coastal environment. This natural bottleneck provides a unique opportunity to estimate relative abundance. Over a four year period from 2011-2014, an aerial survey was flown approximately biweekly along the length of Palm Beach County. A high definition video camera and digital still camera mounted out of the airplane window provided a continuous record of the belt transect which extended 200 m seaward from the shoreline between Boca Raton Inlet and Jupiter Inlet. The number of sharks within the survey transect was directly counted from the video. Shark abundance peaked in the winter (January-March) with a maximum in 2011 of 12,128 individuals counted within the 75.6 km(-2) belt transect. This resulted in a maximum density of 803.2 sharks km(-2). By the late spring (April-May), shark abundance had sharply declined to 1.1% of its peak, where it remained until spiking again in January of the following year. Shark abundance was inversely correlated with water temperature and large numbers of sharks were found only when water temperatures were less than 25 °C. Shark abundance was also correlated with day of the year but not with barometric pressure. Although shark abundance was not correlated with photoperiod, the departure of the sharks from southeast Florida occurred around the vernal equinox. The shark migration along the United States eastern seaboard corresponds spatially and temporally with the spawning aggregations of various baitfish species. These baseline abundance data can be compared to future studies to determine if shark population size is changing and if sharks are restricting their southward

Quantification of massive seasonal aggregations of blacktip sharks ( Carcharhinus limbatus) in Southeast Florida

DOE PAGES

Kajiura, Stephen M.; Tellman, Shari L.; Patterson, Heather M.

2016-03-30

Southeast Florida witnesses an enormous seasonal influx of upper trophic level marine predators each year as massive aggregations of migrating blacktip sharks ( Carcharhinus limbatus) overwinter in nearshore waters. The narrow shelf and close proximity of the Gulf Stream current to the Palm Beach County shoreline drive tens of thousands of sharks to the shallow, coastal environment. This natural bottleneck provides a unique opportunity to estimate relative abundance. Over a four year period from 2011–2014, an aerial survey was flown approximately biweekly along the length of Palm Beach County. A high definition video camera and digital still camera mounted outmore » of the airplane window provided a continuous record of the belt transect which extended 200 m seaward from the shoreline between Boca Raton Inlet and Jupiter Inlet. The number of sharks within the survey transect was directly counted from the video. Shark abundance peaked in the winter (January-March) with a maximum in 2011 of 12,128 individuals counted within the 75.6 km -2 belt transect. This resulted in a maximum density of 803.2 sharks km -2. By the late spring (April-May), shark abundance had sharply declined to 1.1% of its peak, where it remained until spiking again in January of the following year. Shark abundance was inversely correlated with water temperature and large numbers of sharks were found only when water temperatures were less than 25°C. Shark abundance was also correlated with day of the year but not with barometric pressure. Although shark abundance was not correlated with photoperiod, the departure of the sharks from southeast Florida occurred around the vernal equinox. The shark migration along the United States eastern seaboard corresponds spatially and temporally with the spawning aggregations of various baitfish species. As a result, these baseline abundance data can be compared to future studies to determine if shark population size is changing and if sharks are

Quantification of massive seasonal aggregations of blacktip sharks ( Carcharhinus limbatus) in Southeast Florida

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kajiura, Stephen M.; Tellman, Shari L.; Patterson, Heather M.

Southeast Florida witnesses an enormous seasonal influx of upper trophic level marine predators each year as massive aggregations of migrating blacktip sharks ( Carcharhinus limbatus) overwinter in nearshore waters. The narrow shelf and close proximity of the Gulf Stream current to the Palm Beach County shoreline drive tens of thousands of sharks to the shallow, coastal environment. This natural bottleneck provides a unique opportunity to estimate relative abundance. Over a four year period from 2011–2014, an aerial survey was flown approximately biweekly along the length of Palm Beach County. A high definition video camera and digital still camera mounted outmore » of the airplane window provided a continuous record of the belt transect which extended 200 m seaward from the shoreline between Boca Raton Inlet and Jupiter Inlet. The number of sharks within the survey transect was directly counted from the video. Shark abundance peaked in the winter (January-March) with a maximum in 2011 of 12,128 individuals counted within the 75.6 km -2 belt transect. This resulted in a maximum density of 803.2 sharks km -2. By the late spring (April-May), shark abundance had sharply declined to 1.1% of its peak, where it remained until spiking again in January of the following year. Shark abundance was inversely correlated with water temperature and large numbers of sharks were found only when water temperatures were less than 25°C. Shark abundance was also correlated with day of the year but not with barometric pressure. Although shark abundance was not correlated with photoperiod, the departure of the sharks from southeast Florida occurred around the vernal equinox. The shark migration along the United States eastern seaboard corresponds spatially and temporally with the spawning aggregations of various baitfish species. As a result, these baseline abundance data can be compared to future studies to determine if shark population size is changing and if sharks are

Early Stage Evolution of Nourished Beach under High-energy, Macro-tidal Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J. H.; Cai, F.; Zhang, Z. W.; Li, B.

2017-02-01

Beach planform evolution, profile equilibration and sediment grain size change have been studied during the first 4 months from 4th September to 24th December 2011 after the construction of beach nourishment project at Longfengtou Beach, Haitan Bay. Monthly beach profiles, shoreline surveys, sediment sampling and nearshore wave measurements were carried out after implementation of the 1.3km long nourishment project which was completed on 20th August 2011. This study indicates that: (1) rapid beach profile equilibration occurred in the early stage after the construction of the project. A null point was observed, which is equal to the height of mean high tide, basically kept dynamic stable during the process of profile evolution. Shoreface sediment accumulated beneath the height of this point while erosion happened above it, the slope between the beach berm and the landward edge of low tidal zone became more gradual accompanied with seaward transportation of beach sediment. The velocity of beach slope adjustment in earlier period is faster than later. (2) Beach planform adjustment initiated simultaneously with the combination of the process of profile equilibration and longshore sediment transport. Shoreline retreated with an average distance of 11.1m and maximum of 31.02m from 4th September to 24th December, erosion in the south part was more serious than in the north, and 3 erosion hot spots were found along the coast. (3) Sediment redistributed with cross-shore profile equilibration, it showed a pattern across beach profile as medium sand (0.4-0.5mm) in beach berm, smaller (0.3-0.4mm) in high and middle tidal zone, coarse sand(0.6-1mm) in beach slope transitional zone, fine sand(0.1-0.25mm) in low tidal zone. The sediment grain size change of foreshore was rapidly response to the passage of storm surge.

Tracer Studies In Laboratory Beach Simulating Tidal Influences

EPA Science Inventory

Bioremediation of oil spills on tidally influenced beaches commonly involves the addition of a nutrient solution to the contaminated region of the beach at low tide to stimulate the growth of indigenous oil-degrading bacteria. Maximizing the residentce time of nutrients in the be...

Stakeholder Perceptions of Threatened Species and Their Management on Urban Beaches

PubMed Central

Maguire, Grainne S.; Rimmer, James M.; Weston, Michael A.

2013-01-01

Simple Summary Coastal urbanisation brings humans into contact with beach-dwelling wildlife. Where wildlife are disturbance prone, active management is required to promote coexistence between beach-goers and endangered wildlife. Coexistence relies on people adopting wildlife-sensitive behaviours. This study examines factors, which influence people’s awareness and perceptions of threatened species management in southern Australia, using Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis management as a model. The inconvenience experienced by beach goers in regard to plover management was low. Awareness and support for plover conservation were high. Frequency of beach use, whether a person was a dog walker, and awareness of the species and its plight, influenced perceptions. Abstract We surveyed 579 recreationists regarding management of the threatened, beach-dwelling Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis. We postulated that: (1) lower awareness of the species and higher ‘inconvenience’ of management would engender less favourable perceptions of conservation and management; and (2) that frequency of beach use and dog ownership may mediate perceptions and levels of awareness and inconvenience. Overall, inconvenience was low while awareness and support for plover conservation were high. Education and awareness strategies were considered less effective than regulations; exclusion and regulations were considered less desirable than on-ground protective measures. Awareness, frequency of beach use and dog walking did not influence the perceived effectiveness of different managements. More frequent beach users had greater awareness of the species and their plight but reported greater inconvenience associated with management. Respondents with high awareness rated the severity of human-related threats higher; low awareness was associated with more inconvenience associated with on-ground protection, and exclusion and regulations. Dog walkers reported more inconvenience associated with

Biodiversity of gastropod in the Sombu Beach, Wakatobi, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmayanti, F.; Nazira, F. K.; Dewi, A. K.; Oktaviani, D. F.; Millaty, I. N. K.; Prasetya, T. A.; Sasmita, H. B.; Nashrurrokhman, M.; Roshitafandi, D. A.; Febiansi, D.; Sartika, H. W.; Zulfikar, W. G.; Kurnia, R. N.; Islami, D. A.; Tranggono, Y. A.

2018-03-01

The Sombu Beach is located in Wangi-wangi Island, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. The beach is still natural and the substrates are dominated by fine sand and coral reef flat which is suitable for the habitats of gastropods. The aim of this research was to understand the diversity of gastropod in the intertidal zone of the Sombu Beach, Wangi-wangi Island. The research was conducted in January 2017 in the Sombu Beach, Wangi-wangi Island, Indonesia. The collection of the samples was conducted using quadrant plot method. Ten transects along the beach were made with four plots on every transect. So that, there were 40 plots data which were analyzed using Shannon-Wiener index of diversity (H’), evenness index (E), and dominancy index (D). The result of this research shows 13 species of classes Gastropods. The most abundant species in this study were Mitra sp. (86 individuals), Columbella sp. (40 individuals) and Conus sp. (35 individuals). The diversity index (H’) was 1.8729, the evenness index was 0.7302, and the dominance index was 0.2071.

Routine screening of harmful microorganisms in beach sands: implications to public health

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sabino, Raquel; Rodrigues, R.; Costa, I.; Carneiro, Carlos; Cunha, M.; Duarte, A.; Faria, N.; Ferriera, F.C.; Gargate, M.J.; Julio, C.; Martins, M.L.; Nevers, Meredith; Oleastro, M.; Solo-Gabriele, H.; Verissimo, C.; Viegas, C.; Whitman, Richard L.; Brandao, J.

2014-01-01

Beaches worldwide provide recreational opportunities to hundreds of millions of people and serve as important components of coastal economies. Beach water is often monitored for microbiological quality to detect the presence of indicators of human sewage contamination so as to prevent public health outbreaks associated with water contact. However, growing evidence suggests that beach sand can harbor microbes harmful to human health, often in concentrations greater than the beach water. Currently, there are no standards for monitoring, sampling, analyzing, or managing beach sand quality. In addition to indicator microbes, growing evidence has identified pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and fungi in a variety of beach sands worldwide. The public health threat associated with these populations through direct and indirect contact is unknown because so little research has been conducted relating to health outcomes associated with sand quality. In this manuscript, we present the consensus findings of a workshop of experts convened in Lisbon, Portugal to discuss the current state of knowledge on beach sand microbiological quality and to develop suggestions for standardizing the evaluation of sand at coastal beaches. The expert group at the “Microareias 2012” workshop recommends that 1) beach sand should be screened for a variety of pathogens harmful to human health, and sand monitoring should then be initiated alongside regular water monitoring; 2) sampling and analysis protocols should be standardized to allow proper comparisons among beach locations; and 3) further studies are needed to estimate human health risk with exposure to contaminated beach sand. Much of the manuscript is focused on research specific to Portugal, but similar results have been found elsewhere, and the findings have worldwide implications.

Age and morphodynamics of a sandy beach fronted by a macrotidal mud flat along the west coast of Korea: a lateral headland bypass model for beach-dune formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Tae Soo; Hong, Seok Hwi; Chun, Seung Soo; Choi, Jeong-Heon

2017-08-01

The Dasari beach-dune system fronted by an intertidal mud flat is a typical example of numerous small beaches found both in embayments and along the open macrotidal west coast of Korea. The beach is frequently exposed to energetic wave action at high tide in winter. Although this coastal dune-sandy beach-intertidal mud flat system has previously been described, its origin and morphodynamic behavior has to date not been firmly established. To clarify these issues, elevation profiles and surficial sediment samples were collected seasonally along five monitoring transects across the tidal flat. In addition, box-cores as well as vibro- and drill-cores were acquired along the middle transect. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and 14C- AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) dating methods were applied to determine the age of the tidal flat, the beach and the dune deposits. The results show that Dasari beach is topographically composed of two distinct morphological and sedimentological sectors, comprising a high-tide sandy beach that merges seaward into an extensive low-tide tidal flat composed of mud. The transition between the two sectors is marked by a sharp break in slope and change in internal sedimentary structures. At the boundary, the subtle shoreward fining trend in mean grain size on the intertidal flat switches to a pronounced shoreward coarsening trend. Near the transition, mixing between the beach sand and the mud is observed. Another striking feature is a seasonal rotation of the beach system centered on the middle sector, with the northern sector eroding in winter and accreting in summer, and the southern sector accreting in winter and eroding in summer. The spatial grain-size pattern reveals that the beach is fed from the neighboring beach in the north by lateral headland bypassing, rather than onshore transport across the tidal flat, the intermittent lateral supply of sand explaining the seasonal rotation of the beach. Stratigraphically, the beach

Florida School Laws. Chapters 228-246 Florida Statutes. 1998 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee.

This volume of Florida School Laws contains chapters 228 through 246 of the Florida Statutes, which comprise "The Florida School Code." The laws contain those statutes specifically applicable to public schools, community colleges, postsecondary institutions, all other institutions and agencies included as a part of the state system of…

Beach morphology monitoring in the Columbia River Littoral Cell: 1997-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruggiero, Peter; Eshleman, Jodi L.; Kingsley, Etienne; Thompson, David M.; Voigt, Brian; Kaminsky, George M.; Gelfenbaum, Guy

2007-01-01

This report describes methods used, data collected, and results of the Beach Morphology Monitoring Program in the Columbia River Littoral Cell (CRLC) from 1997 to 2005. A collaborative group primarily consisting of the US Geological Survey and the Washington State Department of Ecology performed this work. Beach Monitoring efforts consisted of collecting topographic and bathymetric horizontal and vertical position data using a Real Time Kinematic Differential Global Positioning System (RTK-DGPS). Sediment size distribution data was also collected as part of this effort. The monitoring program was designed to: 1) quantify the short- to medium-term (seasonal to interannual) beach change rates and morphological variability along the CRLC and assess the processes responsible for these changes; 2) collect beach state data (i.e., grain size, beach slope, and dune/sandbar height/position) to enhance the conceptual understanding of CRLC functioning and refine predictions of future coastal change and hazards; 3) compare and contrast the scales of environmental forcing and beach morphodynamics in the CRLC to other coastlines of the world; and 4) provide beach change data in a useful format to land use managers.

Evaluation of airborne topographic lidar for quantifying beach changes

USGS Publications Warehouse

2003-01-01

A scanning airborne topographic lidar was evaluated for its ability to quantify beach topography and changes during the Sandy Duck experiment in 1997 along the North Carolina coast. Elevation estimates, acquired with NASA's Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM), were compared to elevations measured with three types of ground-based mea- surements-1) differential GPS equipped all-terrain vehicle (ATV) that surveyed a 3-km reach of beach from the shoreline to the dune, 2) GPS antenna mounted on a stadia rod used to intensely survey a different 100 m reach of beach, and 3) a second GPS-equipped ATV that surveyed a 70-km-long transect along the coast. Over 40,000 individual intercomparisons between ATM and ground surveys were calculated. RMS vertical differences associated with the ATM when compared to ground measurements ranged from 13 to 19 cm. Considering all of the intercomparisons together, RMS ≃15 cm. This RMS error represents a total error for individual elevation estimates including uncertainties associated with random and mean errors. The latter was the largest source of error and was attributed to drift in differential GPS. The ≃15cm vertical accuracy of the ATM is adequate to resolve beach-change signals typical of the impact of storms. For example, ATM surveys of Assateague Island (spanning the border of MD and VA) prior to and immediately following a severe northeaster showed vertical beach changes in places greater than 2 m, much greater than expected errors associated with the ATM. A major asset of airborne lidar is the high spatial data density. Measurements of elevation are acquired every few m2 over regional scales of hundreds of kilometers. Hence, many scales of beach morphology and change can be resolved, from beach cusps tens of meters in wavelength to entire coastal cells com- prising tens to hundreds of kilometers of coast. Topographic lidars similar to the ATM are becoming increasingly available from commercial vendors and should, in the future

Mobilisation of toxic trace elements under various beach nourishments.

PubMed

Pit, Iris R; Dekker, Stefan C; Kanters, Tobias J; Wassen, Martin J; Griffioen, Jasper

2017-12-01

To enhance protection and maintain wide beaches for recreation, beaches are replenished with sand: so-called beach nourishments. We compared four sites: two traditional beach nourishments, a mega beach nourishment and a reference without beach nourishment. Two sites contain calcareous-rich sand, whereas the other two sites have calcareous-poor sand. We aimed to understand hydrogeochemical processes to indicate factors critical for the mobility of trace elements at nourishments. We therefore analysed the chemical characteristics of sediment and pore water to ascertain the main drivers that mobilise toxic trace elements. With Dutch Quality Standards for soil and groundwater, the characteristics of sediment and pore water were compared to Target Values (the values at which there is a sustainable soil quality) and Intervention Values (the threshold above which the soil's functions are at risk). The pore water characteristics revealed that Target Values were regularly exceeded, especially for the nourishment sites and mainly for Mo (78%), Ni (24%), Cr (55%), and As (21%); Intervention Values for shallow groundwater were occasionally exceeded for As (2%), Cr (2%) and Zn (2%). The sediment characteristics did not exceed the Target Values and showed that trace elements were mainly present in the fine fraction of <150 μm. The oxidation of sulphide minerals such as pyrite resulted into the elevated concentration for all nourishment sites, especially when an unsaturated zone was present and influence of rainwater was apparent. To prevent trace metal mobility at a mega beach nourishment it is important to retain seawater influences and limit oxidation processes. In this respect, a shoreface nourishment is recommended rather than a mega beach nourishment with a thick unsaturated zone. Consequently, we conclude that whether a site is carbonate-rich or carbonate-poor is unimportant, as the influence of seawater will prevent decalcification, creating a low risk of mobilisation

Evaluation of airborne topographic lidar for quantifying beach changes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sallenger, A.H.; Krabill, W.B.; Swift, R.N.; Brock, J.; List, J.; Hansen, M.; Holman, R.A.; Manizade, S.; Sontag, J.; Meredith, A.; Morgan, K.; Yunkel, J.K.; Frederick, E.B.; Stockdon, H.

2003-01-01

A scanning airborne topographic lidar was evaluated for its ability to quantify beach topography and changes during the Sandy Duck experiment in 1997 along the North Carolina coast. Elevation estimates, acquired with NASA's Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM), were compared to elevations measured with three types of ground-based measurements - 1) differential GPS equipped all-terrain vehicle (ATV) that surveyed a 3-km reach of beach from the shoreline to the dune, 2) GPS antenna mounted on a stadia rod used to intensely survey a different 100 m reach of beach, and 3) a second GPS-equipped ATV that surveyed a 70-km-long transect along the coast. Over 40,000 individual intercomparisons between ATM and ground surveys were calculated. RMS vertical differences associated with the ATM when compared to ground measurements ranged from 13 to 19 cm. Considering all of the intercomparisons together, RMS ??? 15 cm. This RMS error represents a total error for individual elevation estimates including uncertainties associated with random and mean errors. The latter was the largest source of error and was attributed to drift in differential GPS. The ??? 15 cm vertical accuracy of the ATM is adequate to resolve beach-change signals typical of the impact of storms. For example, ATM surveys of Assateague Island (spanning the border of MD and VA) prior to and immediately following a severe northeaster showed vertical beach changes in places greater than 2 m, much greater than expected errors associated with the ATM. A major asset of airborne lidar is the high spatial data density. Measurements of elevation are acquired every few m2 over regional scales of hundreds of kilometers. Hence, many scales of beach morphology and change can be resolved, from beach cusps tens of meters in wavelength to entire coastal cells comprising tens to hundreds of kilometers of coast. Topographic lidars similar to the ATM are becoming increasingly available from commercial vendors and should, in the future

Basic hydrogeologic and remote sensing data for selection of sanitary landfill sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, H. K.; Ruth, B. E.; Degner, J. D.

1977-01-01

Solid waste disposal were studied in Volusia County to protect the water supply in the area. Highlands in this County are of limited areal extent and, most significantly, the sand hills and ridges are in areas where recharge of the Floridan aquifer occurs. This study proves that well drained soils meeting the current State requirements are of limited areal extent. These areas should not be utilized as sanitary landfill sites! Rather, it is recommended that the Tomoka Farm Road site into the adjacent wetlands be extended. The County site on Rima Ridge recommended by Greenleaf-Telesca as the primary waste burial site in the County should be re-evaluated because of potential danger to the Daytona Beach water supply.

Meiofauna as descriptor of tourism-induced changes at sandy beaches.

PubMed

Gheskiere, Tom; Vincx, Magda; Weslawski, Jan Marcin; Scapini, Felicita; Degraer, Steven

2005-08-01

Tourism has long been considered as a 'clean industry' with almost no negative effects on the environment. This study demonstrated, in two different coastal systems (Mediterranean and Baltic), that tourism related activities are particularly affecting the sandy beach meio- and nematofauna in the upper beach zone, the specific ecotone in which many meiofauna species from both the marine and the terrestrial environment congregate. Tourist upper beaches are characterized by a lower % total organic matter (%TOM), lower densities, lower diversities (absence of Insecta, Harpacticoida, Oligochaeta, terrestrial nematodes and marine Ironidae nematodes) and higher community stress compared to nearby non-tourist locations. The %TOM was found to be the single most important factor for the observed differences in meiofauna assemblage structure at tourist versus non-tourist beaches in both the Mediterranean and the Baltic region. The free-living nematode assemblages from tourist upper zones depart significantly from expectations based on random selections from the regional nematode species pool. Furthermore upper zone assemblages are characterised by a low species diversity consisting of taxonomically closely related nematode species with r-strategist features. Generally, faunal differences between tourist and non-tourist beaches are decreasing towards the lower beach zones.

Marine debris contamination along undeveloped tropical beaches from northeast Brazil.

PubMed

Santos, Isaac R; Friedrich, Ana Cláudia; Ivar do Sul, Juliana Assunção

2009-01-01

We hypothesize that floating debris leaving polluted coastal bays accumulate on nearby pristine beaches. We examined composition, quantities and distribution of marine debris along approximately 150 km of relatively undeveloped, tropical beaches in Costa do Dendê (Bahia, Brazil). The study site is located south of Salvador City, the largest urban settlement from NE Brazil. Strong spatial variations were observed. Plastics accounted for 76% of the sampled items, followed by styrofoam (14%). Small plastic fragments resultant from the breakdown of larger items are ubiquitous all over the area. Because the dominant littoral drift in Bahia is southward, average beach debris densities (9.1 items/m) along Costa do Dendê were threefold higher than densities previously observed north of Salvador City. River-dominated and stable beaches had higher debris quantities than unstable, erosional beaches. Areas immediately south of the major regional embayments (Camamu and Todos os Santos) were the preferential accumulation sites, indicating that rivers draining populous areas are the major source of debris to the study site. Our results provide baseline information for future assessments. Management actions should focus on input prevention at the hydrographic basin level rather than on cleaning services on beaches.

Potential for gulls to transport bacteria from human waste sites to beaches.

PubMed

Alm, Elizabeth W; Daniels-Witt, Quri R; Learman, Deric R; Ryu, Hodon; Jordan, Dustin W; Gehring, Thomas M; Santo Domingo, Jorge

2018-02-15

Contamination of recreational beaches due to fecal waste from gulls complicates beach monitoring and may pose a risk to public health. Gulls that feed at human waste sites may ingest human fecal microorganisms associated with that waste. If these gulls also visit beaches, they may serve as vectors, transporting fecal microorganisms to the beach where they may subsequently contaminate sand and water. In this study, samples collected from landfills, treated wastewater storage lagoons, and public beaches demonstrated a spatial and temporal overlap of markers for gull and human-associated microorganisms. In addition, markers for gull, fecal indicator bacteria, and the human-associated marker, HF183, were detected in gull feces and cloacae samples. Further, HF183 was detected in cloacae samples from gulls that were documented by radio-telemetry traveling between human waste sites and public beaches. This study highlights the potential for gulls that visit human waste sites to disperse human-associated microorganisms in the beach landscape. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioavailable metals in tourist beaches of Richards Bay, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.

PubMed

Vetrimurugan, E; Jonathan, M P; Roy, Priyadarsi D; Shruti, V C; Ndwandwe, O M

2016-04-15

Acid Leachable Trace Metal (ALTMs) concentrations in tourist beaches of Richards Bay, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa were assessed. 53 surface sediment samples were collected from five different beaches (Kwambonambi Long Beach; Nhlabane Beach; Five Mile Beach; Alkanstrand Beach and Port Durnford Beach). The results of ALTMs (Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Co, Pb, Cd, Zn, As, Hg) suggest that they are enriched naturally and with some local industrial sources for (avg. in μgg(-1)) Fe (3530-7219), Mn (46-107.11), Cd (0.43-1.00) and Zn (48-103.98). Statistical results indicate that metal concentrations were from natural origin attributed to leaching, weathering process and industrial sources. Comparative studies of metal concentrations with sediment quality guidelines and ecotoxicological values indicate that there is no adverse biological effect. Enrichment factor and geoaccumulation indices results indicate moderate enhancement of Fe (Igeo class 1 in FMB), Cd (EF>50; Igeo classes 2-4) and Zn (Igeo classes 1 & 2). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NOWCASTING AND FORECASTING BEACH BACTERIA CONCENTRATION USING THE EPA VIRTUAL BEACH SOFTWARE

EPA Science Inventory

Beaches are subject to closure when bacterial counts exceed water quality criteria. Many authorities base these decisions on sample counts, which typically require a day or more to analyze. Sometimes called the persistence model, because conditions are assumed to persist, experie...

KSC-08pd1773

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-06-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig (left) and 2008 Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman pose for photographers with the Daytona International Speedway show car. Newman is visiting Kennedy in honor of NASA's 50th anniversary and the 50th running of NASCAR's Daytona 500 in February. NASA presented Newman two green racing flags that were flown last February aboard space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission to the International Space Station. One flag was given to Newman, the second was presented to Daytona 500 Experience General Manager Kim Isemann. A third flag that was flown will be kept by NASA for public display. The connection between NASA and Daytona's International Speedway extends beyond their close proximity to one another. During recent years, technology developed for the space program has found many uses on Earth, including helping NASCAR drivers stay safe and increase performance. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Short- and medium-term response to storms on three Mediterranean coarse-grained beaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grottoli, Edoardo; Bertoni, Duccio; Ciavola, Paolo

2017-10-01

The storm response of three Italian coarse-grained beaches was investigated to better understand the morphodynamics of coarse-clastic beaches in a microtidal context. Two of the studied sites are located on the eastern side of the country (Portonovo and Sirolo) and the third one (Marina di Pisa) is on the western side. Portonovo and Sirolo are mixed sand and gravel beaches where the storms approach from two main directions, SE and NE. Marina di Pisa is a coarse-grained, gravel-dominated beach, exposed to storms driven by SW winds. Gravel nourishments were undertaken in recent years on the three sites. Beach topography was monitored measuring the same network of cross sections at a monthly (i.e. short-term) to seasonal frequency (i.e. medium-term). Geomorphic changes were examined before and after storm occurrences by means of profile analyses and shoreline position evaluations. The beach orientation and the influence of hard structures are the main factors controlling the transport and accumulation of significant amount of sediments and the consequent high variability of beach morphology over the medium-term. For Marina di Pisa, storms tend to accumulate material towards the upper part of the beach with no shoreline rotation and no chance to recover the initial configuration. Sirolo and Portonovo showed a similar behaviour that is more typical of pocket beaches. Both beaches show shoreline rotation after storms in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction according to the incoming wave direction. The wider and longer beach at Sirolo allows the accumulation of a thin layer of sediment during storms, rather than at Portonovo where, given its longshore and landward boundaries, the beach material tends to accumulate in greater thickness. After storms, Sirolo and especially Portonovo can quickly recover the initial beach configuration, as soon as another storm of comparable energy approaches from the opposite direction of the previous one. Large morphological

Low faunal diversity on Maltese sandy beaches: fact or artefact?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deidun, Alan; Azzopardi, Marthese; Saliba, Stephen; Schembri, Patrick J.

2003-10-01

Eight sandy beaches on Malta and two on Gozo were sampled for macrofauna to test the hypothesis that Maltese beaches have an intrinsically low diversity. Stations distributed in the supralittoral (dry zone), mediolittoral (wet zone) and upper infralittoral (submerged zone to 1 m water depth) were sampled by sieving core samples and standardised searching during daytime, and pitfall trapping and standardised sweeping of the water column using a hand-net at night, as appropriate. Physical parameters of the sediment were measured and human occupancy of the beaches was estimated. From the supralittoral and mediolittoral, 39 species represented by 1584 individuals were collected by the combined techniques of pitfall trapping, sieving and standard searching. For Ramla beach, which had the highest diversity, 267 individuals representing 25 infaunal species were collected by sieving from a combined volume of 1.175 m 3 of sand, and 149 individuals representing 28 epifaunal species were collected by standardised searching from a combined area of 700 m 2 of sand during two winter and two summer sampling sessions between 1992 and 1993. For nine other beaches sampled during the summer of 2000, only six macrofaunal species were collected from core samples, with overall population densities ranging from 4.13 to 45.45 individuals m -2. Only 92 individuals belonging to 12 species were collected by hand-net from the uppermost infralittoral of five beaches sampled using this method during the summer of 2000. Taxa of gastropods, bivalves, decapods, mysids and staphylinid beetles generally abundant on Mediterranean sandy beaches, were entirely absent from the beaches sampled. Few correlations that could explain the impoverishment of Maltese sandy beaches were found between physical parameters and faunal abundances, and other factors such as inadequate sampling effort, human disturbance and marine pollution were also excluded; however, seasonally biased sampling may partly explain the

77 FR 21662 - Amendment of Class D Airspace; Cocoa Beach, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-11

...-0099; Airspace Docket No. 12-ASO-11] Amendment of Class D Airspace; Cocoa Beach, FL AGENCY: Federal... Class D airspace at Cape Canaveral Skid Strip, Cocoa Beach, FL, by correcting the geographic coordinates... of Cape Canaveral Skid Strip, Cocoa Beach, FL. Also, the geographic coordinates for the airport need...

33 CFR 110.74b - Apollo Beach, Fla.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Apollo Beach, Fla. 110.74b Section 110.74b Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.74b Apollo Beach, Fla. Beginning at a point...

33 CFR 110.74b - Apollo Beach, Fla.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Apollo Beach, Fla. 110.74b Section 110.74b Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.74b Apollo Beach, Fla. Beginning at a point...

33 CFR 110.74b - Apollo Beach, Fla.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Apollo Beach, Fla. 110.74b Section 110.74b Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.74b Apollo Beach, Fla. Beginning at a point...

33 CFR 110.74b - Apollo Beach, Fla.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Apollo Beach, Fla. 110.74b Section 110.74b Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.74b Apollo Beach, Fla. Beginning at a point...

33 CFR 110.74b - Apollo Beach, Fla.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Apollo Beach, Fla. 110.74b Section 110.74b Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.74b Apollo Beach, Fla. Beginning at a point...

Geomorphic origin of Merritt Island-Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA: A paleodelta of the reversed St. Johns River?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Peter N.

2018-04-01

The Merritt Island-Cape Canaveral (MICCSC) sedimentary complex consists of a series of adjacent, non-conformable, beach ridge sets that suggest a multi-phase constructional history, but the feature's geomorphic and sedimentary origins are not well-understood. In spite of its notable sedimentary volume (surface area = 1200 km2), the MICCSC lacks a clear sediment source, or supply mechanism, to explain its presence today. Previously published U/Th, radiocarbon and OSL dates indicate that beach ridge deposition was active during MIS 5 (130-80 ka) on Merritt Island, but has occurred over a shorter, younger time interval on Cape Canaveral proper (6 ka to present). In this paper, it is proposed that the MICCSC is an abandoned paleodelta whose fluvial source provided a sediment supply sufficient for coastal progradation. Although the MICCSC, today, does not receive an appreciable sediment supply, the nearly 23,000 km2 drainage basin of the St. Johns River may well have provided such a sediment supply during MIS 5 times. This low-gradient fluvial system currently empties to the Atlantic Ocean some 200 km north of the MICCSC (near Jacksonville, Florida) but may have flowed southward during the time of MICCSC sedimentary construction, then experienced flow reversal since MIS 5 times. Three possible uplift mechanisms are proposed to explain the northward down-tilting that may have reversed the flow direction of the St. Johns, abandoning deltaic construction of the MICCSC: (1) karst-driven, flexural isostatic uplift in response to carbonate rock dissolution in central Florida, (2) glacio-hydro-isostatic tilting/back-tilting cycles during loading and unloading of the Laurentide ice sheet during the Pleistocene, and (3) mantle convection-driven dynamic topography operating within southeastern North America since the Pliocene. This example testifies to the sensitivity of low-gradient, low-relief landscapes to various sources of uplift, be they isostatic or otherwise.

Aeolian transport of seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) beach-cast to terrestrial systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez, Maria A.; Beltran, Rafel; Traveset, Anna; Calleja, Maria Ll; Delgado-Huertas, Antonio; Marbà, Núria

2017-09-01

The annual export of the Mediterranean seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) litter to adjacent beaches and coastal dunes was quantified by examining the fortnight evolution of seagrass beach-cast volume on two beaches in the NW Mediterranean (Son Real and Es Trenc, Mallorca Island, Spain) for two years and analyzing the wind speed and direction obtained from the closest Meteorological Spanish Agency surface weather stations. The decomposition stage of the deposits was examined by analyzing the total hydrolysable amino acids, its percentage distribution and derived degradation indexes. Prevalent winds exceeding 6 m s-1, the coastline morphology and type of terrestrial vegetation determine the annual dynamics of the seagrass beach-cast. In the most protected beach (Son Real) the seagrass beach-cast remained nearly stationary during the two studied years while it exhibited wide annual fluctuations in the less protected one (Es Trenc). The amounts of P. oceanica wrack washed on Son Real and Es Trenc beaches, respectively, were estimated at 309 kg DW m coastline-1 yr-1 and 1359 kg DW m coastline-1 yr-1. They supplied between 20 kg CaCO3 m coastline-1 yr-1 and 47 kg CaCO3 m coastline-1 yr-1. Between 54% (Son Real) and 70% (Es Trenc) of seagrass beach-cast, respectively accounting for 1.5 kg N m coastline-1 yr-1 and 8.6 kg N m coastline-1 yr-1, were annually exported from the beaches to adjacent dune systems. Our results reveal that Mediterranean seagrass meadows might be an important source of materials, including sand and nutrients, for adjacent terrestrial systems, able to support their functioning.

A simple model to estimate the impact of sea-level rise on platform beaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taborda, Rui; Ribeiro, Mónica Afonso

2015-04-01

Estimates of future beach evolution in response to sea-level rise are needed to assess coastal vulnerability. A research gap is identified in providing adequate predictive methods to use for platform beaches. This work describes a simple model to evaluate the effects of sea-level rise on platform beaches that relies on the conservation of beach sand volume and assumes an invariant beach profile shape. In closed systems, when compared with the Inundation Model, results show larger retreats; the differences are higher for beaches with wide berms and when the shore platform develops at shallow depths. The application of the proposed model to Cascais (Portugal) beaches, using 21st century sea-level rise scenarios, shows that there will be a significant reduction in beach width.

Springs of Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenau, Jack C.; Faulkner, Glen L.; Hendry, Charles W.; Hull, Robert W.

1977-01-01

The first comprehensive report of Florida's springs, which contains both a story of the springs and a collection of facts about them, was published thirty years ago (Ferguson and others, 1947). Since then, much additional data on springs have been gathered and the current report, Springs of Florida, makes a wealth of information on springs available to the public. Springs of Florida, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Bureau of Geology, Florida Department of Natural Resources, publishers, and the Bureau of Water Resources Management, Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, is intended to provide sufficient background information for a lucid understanding of the nature and occurrence of the springs in the State.

Swashed away? Storm impacts on sandy beach macrofaunal communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Linda; Nel, Ronel; Smale, Malcolm; Schoeman, David

2011-09-01

Storms can have a large impact on sandy shores, with powerful waves eroding large volumes of sand off the beach. Resulting damage to the physical environment has been well-studied but the ecological implications of these natural phenomena are less known. Since climate change predictions suggest an increase in storminess in the near future, understanding these ecological implications is vital if sandy shores are to be proactively managed for resilience. Here, we report on an opportunistic experiment that tests the a priori expectation that storms impact beach macrofaunal communities by modifying natural patterns of beach morphodynamics. Two sites at Sardinia Bay, South Africa, were sampled for macrofauna and physical descriptors following standard sampling methods. This sampling took place five times at three- to four-month intervals between April 2008 and August 2009. The second and last sampling events were undertaken after unusually large storms, the first of which was sufficiently large to transform one site from a sandy beach into a mixed shore for the first time in living memory. A range of univariate (linear mixed-effects models) and multivariate (e.g. non-metric multidimensional scaling, PERMANOVA) methods were employed to describe trends in the time series, and to explore the likelihood of possible explanatory mechanisms. Macrofaunal communities at the dune-backed beach (Site 2) withstood the effects of the first storm but were altered significantly by the second storm. In contrast, macrofauna communities at Site 1, where the supralittoral had been anthropogenically modified so that exchange of sediments with the beach was limited, were strongly affected by the first storm and showed little recovery over the study period. In line with predictions from ecological theory, beach morphodynamics was found to be a strong driver of temporal patterns in the macrofaunal community structure, with the storm events also identified as a significant factor, likely

A Parametric Model for Barred Equilibrium Beach Profiles

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-10

to shallow water. Bodge (1992) and Komar and McDougal (1994) suggested an exponential form as a preferred solution that exhibited finite slope at the...applications. J. Coast. Res. 7, 53–84. Komar, P.D., McDougal ,W.G., 1994. The analysis of beach profiles and nearshore processes using the exponential beach

Sandy beaches: state of the art of nematode ecology.

PubMed

Maria, Tatiana F; Vanaverbeke, Jan; Vanreusel, Ann; Esteves, André M

2016-01-01

In this review, we summarize existing knowledge of the ecology of sandy-beach nematodes, in relation to spatial distribution, food webs, pollution and climate change. We attempt to discuss spatial scale patterns (macro-, meso- and microscale) according to their degree of importance in structuring sandy-beach nematode assemblages. This review will provide a substantial background on current knowledge of sandy-beach nematodes, and can be used as a starting point to delineate further investigations in this field. Over decades, sandy beaches have been the scene of studies focusing on community and population ecology, both related to morphodynamic models. The combination of physical factors (e.g. grain size, tidal exposure) and biological interactions (e.g. trophic relationships) is responsible for the spatial distribution of nematodes. In other words, the physical factors are more important in structuring nematodes communities over large scale of distribution while biological interactions are largely important in finer-scale distributions. It has been accepted that biological interactions are assumed to be of minor importance because physical factors overshadow the biological interactions in sandy beach sediments; however, the most recent results from in-situ and ex-situ experimental investigations on behavior and biological factors on a microscale have shown promise for understanding the mechanisms underlying larger-scale patterns and processes. Besides nematodes are very promising organisms used to understand the effects of pollution and climate changes although these subjects are less studied in sandy beaches than distribution patterns.

Coastal processes influencing water quality at Great Lakes beaches

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2013-01-01

In a series of studies along the Great Lakes, U.S. Geological Survey scientists are examining the physical processes that influence concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria and related pathogens at recreational beaches. These studies aim to estimate human health risk, improve management strategies, and understand the fate and transport of microbes in the nearshore area. It was determined that embayed beaches act as traps, accumulating Escherichia coli (E. coli) and other bacteria in the basin and even in beach sand. Further, shear stress and wave run-up could resuspend accumulated bacteria, leading to water-contamination events. These findings are being used to target beach design and circulation projects. In previous research, it was determined that E. coli followed a diurnal pattern, with concentrations decreasing throughout the day, largely owing to solar inactivation, but rebounding overnight. Studies at a Chicago beach identified the impact of wave-induced mass transport on this phenomenon, a finding that will extend our understanding of bacterial fate in the natural environment. In another series of studies, scientists examined the impact of river outfalls on bacteria concentrations, using mechanistic and empirical modeling. Through these studies, the models can indicate range and extent of impact, given E. coli concentration in the source water. These findings have been extended to extended lengths of coastlines and have been applied in beach management using empirical predictive modeling. Together, these studies are helping scientists identify and eliminate threats to human and coastal health.

Microbes in Beach Sands: Integrating Environment, Ecology and Public Health

PubMed Central

Whitman, Richard; Harwood, Valerie J.; Edge, Thomas A.; Nevers, Meredith; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara; Vijayavel, Kannappan; Brandão, João; Sadowsky, Michael J.; Alm, Elizabeth Wheeler; Crowe, Allan; Ferguson, Donna; Ge, Zhongfu; Halliday, Elizabeth; Kinzelman, Julie; Kleinheinz, Greg; Przybyla-Kelly, Kasia; Staley, Christopher; Staley, Zachery; Solo-Gabriele, Helena M.

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Beach sand is a habitat that supports many microbes, including viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa (micropsammon). The apparently inhospitable conditions of beach sand environments belie the thriving communities found there. Physical factors, such as water availability and protection from insolation; biological factors, such as competition, predation, and biofilm formation; and nutrient availability all contribute to the characteristics of the micropsammon. Sand microbial communities include autochthonous species/phylotypes indigenous to the environment. Allochthonous microbes, including fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and waterborne pathogens, are deposited via waves, runoff, air, or animals. The fate of these microbes ranges from death, to transient persistence and/or replication, to establishment of thriving populations (naturalization) and integration in the autochthonous community. Transport of the micropsammon within the habitat occurs both horizontally across the beach, and vertically from the sand surface and ground water table, as well as at various scales including interstitial flow within sand pores, sediment transport for particle-associated microbes, and the large-scale processes of wave action and terrestrial runoff. The concept of beach sand as a microbial habitat and reservoir of FIB and pathogens has begun to influence our thinking about human health effects associated with sand exposure and recreational water use. A variety of pathogens have been reported from beach sands, and recent epidemiology studies have found some evidence of health risks associated with sand exposure. Persistent or replicating populations of FIB and enteric pathogens have consequences for watershed/beach management strategies and regulatory standards for safe beaches. This review summarizes our understanding of the community structure, ecology, fate, transport, and public health implications of microbes in beach sand. It concludes with recommendations for future

Hurricane Sandy beach response and recovery at Fire Island, New York: Shoreline and beach profile data, October 2012 to October 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hehre Henderson, Rachel E.; Hapke, Cheryl J.; Brenner, Owen T.; Reynolds, Billy J.

2015-04-30

In response to the forecasted impact of Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall on October 29, 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a substantial data-collection effort to assess the morphological impacts to the beach and dune system at Fire Island, New York. Global positioning system (GPS) field surveys of the beach and dunes were conducted just prior to and after landfall and these data were used to quantify change in several focus areas. In order to quantify morphologic change along the entire length of the island, pre-storm (May 2012) and post-storm (November 2012) lidar and aerial photography were used to assess changes to the shoreline and beach.As part of the USGS Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Fire Island Study, the beach is monitored periodically to enable better understanding of post-Sandy recovery. The alongshore state of the beach is recorded using a differential global positioning system (DGPS) to collect data around the mean high water (MHW; 0.46 meter North American Vertical Datum of 1988) to derive a shoreline, and the cross-shore response and recovery are measured along a series of 10 profiles.Overall, Hurricane Sandy substantially altered the morphology of Fire Island. However, the coastal system rapidly began to recover after the 2012­–13 winter storm season and continues to recover in the form of volume gains and shoreline adjustment.

77 FR 28243 - Amendment of Class D Airspace; Cocoa Beach, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-14

...-0099; Airspace Docket No. 12-ASO-11] Amendment of Class D Airspace; Cocoa Beach, FL AGENCY: Federal... Federal Register on April 11, 2012 that amends Class D airspace at Cocoa Beach, FL. DATES: Effective 0901...), amends Class D airspace at Cape Canaveral Skid Strip, Cocoa Beach, FL. A typographical error was made in...

Climate-change impacts on sandy-beach biota: crossing a line in the sand.

PubMed

Schoeman, David S; Schlacher, Thomas A; Defeo, Omar

2014-08-01

Sandy ocean beaches are iconic assets that provide irreplaceable ecosystem services to society. Despite their great socioeconomic importance, beaches as ecosystems are severely under-represented in the literature on climate-change ecology. Here, we redress this imbalance by examining whether beach biota have been observed to respond to recent climate change in ways that are consistent with expectations under climate change. We base our assessments on evidence coming from case studies on beach invertebrates in South America and on sea turtles globally. Surprisingly, we find that observational evidence for climate-change responses in beach biota is more convincing for invertebrates than for highly charismatic turtles. This asymmetry is paradoxical given the better theoretical understanding of the mechanisms by which turtles are likely to respond to changes in climate. Regardless of this disparity, knowledge of the unique attributes of beach systems can complement our detection of climate-change impacts on sandy-shore invertebrates to add rigor to studies of climate-change ecology for sandy beaches. To this end, we combine theory from beach ecology and climate-change ecology to put forward a suite of predictive hypotheses regarding climate impacts on beaches and to suggest ways that these can be tested. Addressing these hypotheses could significantly advance both beach and climate-change ecology, thereby progressing understanding of how future climate change will impact coastal ecosystems more generally.

Coastal geomorphological study of pocket beaches in Crete, with the use of planview indices.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexandrakis, George; Karditsa, Aikaterini; Poulos, Serafim; Kampanis, Nikos

2013-04-01

The formation of pocket beaches is a result of a large number of processes and mechanisms that vary on space and time scales. This study aims in defining the planform characteristics of pocket beaches in Crete Isl. and to determine their sheltering effect, embaymentization and their status of equilibrium. Thus, data from 30 pocket beaches along the coastline of Crete, with different geomorphological and hydrodynamical setting, were collected. Planform parameters were applied and coastal planview indices from the bibliography were applied. The parameters included: length and orientation of the headlands between the pocket beach; length between the bay entrance and the center of the beach; lengths of the i) embayed shoreline, ii) embayed beach, iii) beach segment located at the shadow of a headland; linear distance and orientation between the edges of the embayed beach; direction of the incident wave energy flux; wave crest obliquity to the control line; beach area, maximum beach width and headland orientation and river/ torrent catchment areas in beach zones that an active river system existed (Bowman et al.2009). For the morphological mapping of the study areas, 1:5000 orthophoto maps were used. Wave regime has been calculated with the use of prognostic equations and utilising local wind data (mean annual frequency of wind speed and direction), provided by the Wind and Wave Atlas of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The diffraction and refraction of the waves has been simulated with the use of numerical models. The study shows that Cretan pocket beaches display a wide range of indentation, suggesting that is the result of several parameters that include tectonics, coastal hydrodynamics and river catchment areas. The more indented bays are, the shorter their beaches become, while low-indented pocket beaches are the widest and the longest ones. Beaches with headland with large length appear to be more protected and receive smaller amount of wave energy. Most of the

Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) at ambient freshwater beaches

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fogarty, Lisa R.; Haack, Sheridan K.; Johnson, Heather E.; Brennan, Angela K.; Isaacs, Natasha M.; Spencer, Chelsea

2015-01-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are a threat to human health worldwide, and although detected at marine beaches, they have been largely unstudied at freshwater beaches. Genes indicating S. aureus (SA; femA) and methicillin resistance (mecA) were detected at 11 and 12 of 13 US Great Lakes beaches and in 18% or 27% of 287 recreational water samples, respectively. Eight beaches had mecA + femA (potential MRSA) detections. During an intensive study, higher bather numbers, staphylococci concentrations, and femA detections were found in samples collected after noon than before noon. Local population density, beach cloud cover, and beach wave height were significantly correlated with SA or MRSA detection frequency. The Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene, associated with community-acquired MRSA, was detected in 12 out of 27 potential MRSA samples. The femA gene was detected less frequently at beaches that met US enterococci criteria or EU enterococci ‘excellent’ recreational water quality, but was not related to Escherichia coli-defined criteria. Escherichia coli is often the only indicator used to determine water quality at US beaches, given the economic and healthcare burden that can be associated with infections caused by SA and MRSA, monitoring of recreational waters for non-fecal bacteria such as staphylococci and/or SA may be warranted.

At Long Beach, Success Is Measured by Degrees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fain, Paul

2009-01-01

The California State University campus at Long Beach graduated 8,720 students last month. Each one got the opportunity to walk the stage, and F. King Alexander, the university's president, shook every hand. California State at Long Beach has made graduating a greater number of its 38,000 students its top priority. The slogan "Graduation…

Global diversity patterns in sandy beach macrofauna: a biogeographic analysis.

PubMed

Barboza, Francisco Rafael; Defeo, Omar

2015-09-28

Unlike the advances generated on land, the knowledge of global diversity patterns in marine ecosystems is limited to a small number of studies. For sandy beaches, which dominate the world's ocean shores, previous meta-analyses highlighted the role of beach morphodynamics in explaining species richness patterns. Oceanographic variables and historical processes have not been considered, even though they could be main predictors of community structure. Our work, based on 256 sandy beaches around the world, analysed species richness considering for the first time temperature, salinity and primary productivity. Biogeographic units (realms, provinces and ecoregions) were used to incorporate historical factors in modelling processes. Ecoregions, which implicitly include isolation and coastal complexity among other historical geographic factors, best represented trends in species richness worldwide. Temperature was a main predictor of species richness, which increased from temperate to tropical sandy beaches. Species richness increased with tide range and towards wide beaches with gentle slopes and fine grains, which is consistent with the hypothesis that habitat availability has an important role in structuring sandy beach communities. The role of temperature and habitat availability suggests that ocean warming and sea level rise could affect the distribution of obligate species living in these narrow ecosystems.

Global diversity patterns in sandy beach macrofauna: a biogeographic analysis

PubMed Central

Rafael Barboza, Francisco; Defeo, Omar

2015-01-01

Unlike the advances generated on land, the knowledge of global diversity patterns in marine ecosystems is limited to a small number of studies. For sandy beaches, which dominate the world’s ocean shores, previous meta-analyses highlighted the role of beach morphodynamics in explaining species richness patterns. Oceanographic variables and historical processes have not been considered, even though they could be main predictors of community structure. Our work, based on 256 sandy beaches around the world, analysed species richness considering for the first time temperature, salinity and primary productivity. Biogeographic units (realms, provinces and ecoregions) were used to incorporate historical factors in modelling processes. Ecoregions, which implicitly include isolation and coastal complexity among other historical geographic factors, best represented trends in species richness worldwide. Temperature was a main predictor of species richness, which increased from temperate to tropical sandy beaches. Species richness increased with tide range and towards wide beaches with gentle slopes and fine grains, which is consistent with the hypothesis that habitat availability has an important role in structuring sandy beach communities. The role of temperature and habitat availability suggests that ocean warming and sea level rise could affect the distribution of obligate species living in these narrow ecosystems. PMID:26411697

USING PUBLIC-DOMAIN MODELS TO ESTIMATE BEACH BACTERIA CONCENTRATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Stretches of beach along popular Huntington Beach, California are occassionally closed to swimming due to high levels of bacteria. One hypothesized source is the treated wastewater plume from the Orange County Sanitation District's (OCSD) ocean outfall. While three independent sc...

The plight of the beaches of Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, L.; Foteinis, S.; Kalligeris, N.; Palaiologou, A.; Synolakis, C. E.

2008-12-01

The coastlines of the Greece are rapidly retreating at a rate that has increased substantially in the past decade. We describe here specific examples of rapid erosion and we speculate as to the causes. In some instances, erosion is advancing at a rate of 1m/year. As in other parts of the Mediterranean, the causes are anthropogenic and include sand mining from the beaches and rivers, poor design of coastal structures that create reflection patterns that focus waves on vulnerable areas, removal of sand dunes to build roads, and coastal construction too close to shoreline. The underlying problem is the complete lack of any semblance of coastal zone management in Greece and antiquated legislation. We conclude that unless urgent salvage measures to protect the beaches and end sand mining and dune removal, several beaches will disappear within the next decade.

WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF LAKE TEXOMA BEACHES, 1999-2001

EPA Science Inventory

A biological and inorganic assessment of five beaches on Lake Texoma was conducted from September 1999 through July 2001. Water samples for each beach site were divided into two groups, a swimming season and non-swimming season. Water properties such as temperature, alkalinity,...

Dramatic Improvements in Beach Water Quality Following Gull Removal

EPA Science Inventory

Gulls are often cited as important contributors of fecal contamination to surface waters, and some recreational beaches have used gull control measures to improve microbial water quality. In this study, gulls were chased from a Lake Michigan beach using specially trained dogs, a...

Numerical experiments on breaking waves on contrasting beaches using a two-phase flow approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakhtyar, R.; Barry, D. A.; Kees, C. E.

2012-11-01

A mechanistic understanding of beach environments needs to account for interactions of oceanic forcing and beach materials, in particular the role of waves on the evolution of the beach profile. A fully coupled two-phase flow model was used to simulate nearshore fluid-sediment turbulent flow in the cross-shore direction. It includes the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations and turbulent stress closures for each phase, and accounts for inter-granular stresses. The model has previously been validated using laboratory-scale data, so the results are likely more reliable for that scale. It was used to simulate wave breaking and the ensuing hydrodynamics and sediment transport processes in the surf/swash zones. Numerical experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of varying beach and wave characteristics (e.g., beach slope, sediment grain size, wave periods and heights) on the foreshore profile changes. Spilling and plunging breakers occur on dissipative and intermediate beaches, respectively. The impact of these wave/beach types on nearshore zone hydrodynamics and beach morphology was determined. The numerical results showed that turbulent kinetic energy, sediment concentrations and transport rate are greater on intermediate than on dissipative beaches. The results confirmed that wave energy, beach grain size and bed slope are main factors for sediment transport and beach morphodynamics. The location of the maximum sediment transport is near the breaking point for both beach types. Coarse- and fine-sand beaches differ significantly in their erosive characteristics (e.g., foreshore profile evolutions are erosive and accretionary on the fine and coarse sand beaches, respectively). In addition, a new parameter (based on main driving factors) is proposed that can characterize the sediment transport in the surf and swash zones. The results are consistent with existing physical observations, suggesting that the two-phase flow model is suitable for the

Towards improved prediction and mitigation of beach overwash: Terrestrial LiDAR observation of dynamic beach berm erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, J. E.; Gallien, T.; Shakeri Majd, M.; Sanders, B. F.

2012-12-01

Globally, over 20 million people currently reside below high tide levels and 200 million are below storm tide levels. Future climate change along with the pressures of urbanization will exacerbate flooding in low lying coastal communities. In Southern California, coastal flooding is triggered by a combination of high tides, storm surge, and waves and recent research suggests that a current 100 year flood event may be experienced on a yearly basis by 2050 due to sea level rise adding a positive offset to return levels. Currently, Southern California coastal communities mitigate the threat of beach overwash, and consequent backshore flooding, with a combination of planning and operational activities such as protective beach berm construction. Theses berms consist of temporary alongshore sand dunes constructed days or hours before an extreme tide or wave event. Hydraulic modeling in urbanized embayments has shown that coastal flooding predictions are extremely sensitive to the presence of coastal protective infrastructure, requiring parameterization of the hard infrastructure elevations at centimetric accuracy. Beach berms are an example of temporary dynamic structures which undergo severe erosion during extreme events and are typically not included in flood risk assessment. Currently, little is known about the erosion process and performance of these structures, which adds uncertainty to flood hazard delineation and flood forecasts. To develop a deeper understanding of beach berm erosion dynamics, three trapezoidal shaped berms, approximately 35 m long and 1.5 m high, were constructed and failure during rising tide conditions was observed using terrestrial laser scanning. Concurrently, real-time kinematic GPS, high-definition time lapse photography, a local tide gauge and wave climate data were collected. The result is a rich and unique observational dataset capturing berm erosion dynamics. This poster highlights the data collected and presents methods for processing

11 things a geologist thinks an engineer should know about carbonate beaches

USGS Publications Warehouse

Halley, Robert B.; Magoon, Orville T.; Robbins, Lisa L.; Ewing, Lesley

2002-01-01

This is a review of the geological aspects of carbonate beaches that a geologist thinks may be useful for an engineer. Classical geologic problems of carbonate beaches, for example how ancient examples are recognized in rock sequences, are of little interest to engineers. Geologists not involved in engineering problems may find it difficult to know what an engineer should understand about carbonate beaches. Nevertheless, there are at least eleven topics that are potentially very useful for engineers to keep in mind. These eleven are chosen with as much thought going into what has been omitted as has been given to the eleven included topics. Some qualifications are in order: First, this paper does not discuss certain kinds of carbonate shorelines that are beyond the scope of engineering issues. For example, this review does not discuss very high-energy carbonate boulder beaches. These beaches are comprised of pieces of carbonate material ganging in size from ten centimeters to meters. Typically, these are high-energy storm deposits formed from pieces of either eroded carbonate rock or other large carbonate pieces such as pieces of large corals. This paper focuses on sand-sized (0.0625–2.0 mm) coastal carbonate deposits. Second, offshore beaches will not be discussed. There are many carbonate beaches that form on banks or shoals exposed at low tide, but our discussion is confined to what most people think of when they go to some tropical island and/or resort and walk out to lay on the beach. Third, this paper does not consider mixed carbonate/quartz sand beaches. While mixed beaches are common, only the end member of purely carbonate sand beaches is considered. Fourth, there will be no order of preference of the eleven topics. And lastly, these eleven topics are not consensus items. These are simply one geologist s thoughts about the aspects of carbonate beaches that would be useful for engineering colleagues to keep in mind. Where possible, general reference is

Measurements and modelling of beach groundwater flow in the swash-zone: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horn, Diane P.

2006-04-01

This paper reviews research on beach groundwater dynamics and identifies research questions which will need to be answered before swash zone sediment transport and beach profile evolution can be successfully modelled. Beach groundwater hydrodynamics are a result of combined forcing from the tide and waves at a range of frequencies, and a large number of observations exist which describe the shape and elevation of the beach watertable in response to tidal forcing at diurnal, semi-diurnal and spring-neap tidal frequencies. Models of beach watertable response to tidal forcing have been successfully validated; however, models of watertable response to wave forcing are less well developed and require verification. Improved predictions of swash zone sediment transport and beach profile evolution cannot be achieved unless the complex fluid and sediment interactions between the surface flow and the beach groundwater are better understood, particularly the sensitivity of sediment transport processes to flow perpendicular to the permeable bed. The presence of a capillary fringe, particularly when it lies just below the sand surface, has influences on beach groundwater dynamics. The presence of a capillary fringe can have a significant effect on the exchange of water between the ocean and the coastal aquifer, particularly in terms of the storage capacity of the aquifer. Field and laboratory observations have also shown that natural groundwater waves usually propagate faster and decay more slowly in aquifers with a capillary fringe, and observations which suggest that horizontal flows may also occur in the capillary zone have been reported. The effects of infiltration and exfiltration are generally invoked to explain why beaches with a low watertable tend to accrete and beaches with a high watertable tend to erode. However, the relative importance of processes such as infiltration losses in the swash, changes in the effective weight of the sediment, and modified shear stress

Impact of erosion and accretion on the distribution of enterococci in beach sands.

PubMed

Gast, Rebecca J; Gorrell, Levi; Raubenheimer, Britt; Elgar, Steve

2011-09-15

Bacterial pathogens in coastal sediments may pose a health risk to users of beaches. Although recent work shows that beach sands harbor both indicator bacteria and potential pathogens, it is not known how deep within beach sands the organisms may persist nor if they may be exposed during natural physical processes. In this study, sand cores of approximately 1 m depth were collected at three sites across the beach face in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina before, during and after large waves from an offshore hurricane. The presence of DNA from the fecal indicator bacterium Enterococci was detected in subsamples at different depths within the cores by PCR amplification. Erosion and accretion of beach sand at the three sites also was determined for each sampling day. The results indicate that ocean beach sands with persisting enterococci signals could be exposed and redistributed when wind, waves, and currents cause beach erosion or accretion.

Metal concentration in the tourist beaches of South Durban: An industrial hub of South Africa.

PubMed

Vetrimurugan, E; Shruti, V C; Jonathan, M P; Roy, Priyadarsi D; Kunene, N W; Villegas, Lorena Elizabeth Campos

2017-04-15

South Durban basin of South Africa has witnessed tremendous urban, industrial expansion and mass tourism impacts exerting significant pressure over marine environments. 43 sediment samples from 7 different beaches (Bluff beach; Ansteys beach; Brighton beach; Cutting beach; Isipingo beach; Tiger Rocks beach; Amanzimtoti beach) were analyzed for acid leachable metals (ALMs) Fe, Mg, Mn, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Co, Pb, Cd, Zn and Hg. The metal concentrations found in all the beaches were higher than the background reference values (avg. in μgg -1 ) for Cr (223-352), Cu (27.67-42.10), Mo (3.11-4.70), Ni (93-118), Co (45.52-52.44), Zn (31.26-57.01) and Hg (1.13-2.36) suggesting the influence of industrial effluents and harbor activities in this region. Calculated geochemical indexes revealed that extreme contamination of Cr and Hg in all the beach sediments and high Cr and Ni levels poses adverse biological effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Achieving Challenge Home in Affordable Housing in the Hot-Humid Climate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beal, D.; McIlvaine, J.; Winter, B.

2014-08-01

The Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC), one of the Building America research team leads, has partnered with two builders as they work through the Challenge Home certification process in one test home each. The builder partners participating in this cost-shared research are Southeast Volusia County Habitat for Humanity near Daytona, Florida and Manatee County Habitat for Humanity near Tampa, Florida. Both are affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International, a non-profit affordable housing organization. This research serves to identify viable technical pathways to meeting the CH criteria for other builders in the region. A further objective of thismore » research is to identify gaps and barriers in the marketplace related to product availability, labor force capability, code issues, cost effectiveness, and business case issues that hinder or prevent broader adoption on a production scale.« less

Response to storm conditions of two different beaches at the Mediterranean coast of Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Mrini, Aldelmounim; Anfuso, Giorgio; Nachite, Driss; Taaouati, Mohamed

2010-05-01

In recent decades the increased demand for the recreational use of beaches has resulted in the uptake of studies on the morphodynamic processes which are acting on beaches. This knowledge is fundamental for appropriate coastal erosion management, suitable tourist use of littoral and for the design and shape of human construction. The Mediterranean sectors of Moroccan littoral investigated in this study, Ksar Rimal and Cabo Negro beaches, are respectively located north and south of Cabo Negro promontory and, over recent years, have been subject to increasing tourist activity. This has consisted mainly of the construction of two tourist ports (Marina Smir and Kabila), residential developments, hotels and a motorway which runs parallel to the coast, affecting the dune ridges and two lagoons which are of great ecological interest. In detail, the dunes located in the backshore at Ksar Rimal beach, are nowadays occupied by summer houses threaten by coastal retreat. A wide, partially urbanized, backshore is observed at Cabo Negro beach. With the intention of characterize the morphodynamic and seasonal behavior and the response of the studied beaches to storm impact, a beach monitoring program was carried out in the period 2006-2008, with special attention to the February-March 2008 stormy period. On analyzing the information obtained, it was possible to characterize the morphology and sedimentology of the studied beaches, and to calculate beach volumetric variations. Ksar Rimal is an open, exposed beach characterized by an intermediate slope (tan β = 0.10) with medium-coarse sands. The beach showed a reflective beach state characterized by plunging breakers. Small morphological seasonal changes were observed, most important morphological and volumetric variations (about 20 m3/m) taking place after winter storms which usually gave rise to a more dissipative beach profile (tan β = 0.05) characterized by spilling breakers. Beach recovery was quite rapid, usually lasting 2

Beach boundary layer: a framework for addressing recreational water quality impairment at enclosed beaches.

PubMed

Grant, Stanley B; Sanders, Brett F

2010-12-01

Nearshore waters in bays, harbors, and estuaries are frequently contaminated with human pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria. Tracking down and mitigating this contamination is complicated by the many point and nonpoint sources of fecal pollution that can degrade water quality along the shore. From a survey of the published literature, we propose a conceptual and mathematical framework, the "beach boundary layer model", for understanding and quantifying the relative impact of beach-side and bay-side sources of fecal pollution on nearshore water quality. In the model, bacterial concentration in ankle depth water C(ankle) [bacteria L(-3)] depends on the flux m'' [bacteria L(-2) T(-1)] of fecal bacteria from beach-side sources (bather shedding, bird and dog feces, tidal washing of sediments, decaying vegetation, runoff from small drains, and shallow groundwater discharge), a cross-shore mass transfer velocity k [L T(-1)] that accounts for the physics of nearshore transport and mixing, and a background concentration C(bay) [bacteria L(-3)] attributable to bay-side sources of pollution that impact water quality over large regions (sewage outfalls, creeks and rivers): C(ankle) = m''/k + C(bay). We demonstrate the utility of the model for identifying risk factors and pollution sources likely to impact shoreline water quality, and evaluate the model's underlying assumptions using computational fluid dynamic simulations of flow, turbulence, and mass transport in a trapezoidal channel.

Potential for Gulls to Transport Bacteria from Human Waste Sites to Beaches

EPA Science Inventory

Contamination of recreational beaches due to fecal waste from gulls complicates beach monitoring and may pose a risk to public health. Gulls that feed at human waste sites may ingest human-associated fecal microorganisms associated with that waste. If these gulls also visit beach...

GREAT LAKES BEACH CLOSURES: USING SATELLITE IMAGES TO IDENTIFY AREAS AT RISK

EPA Science Inventory

Are people getting sick from swimming at Great Lakes beaches? Some are. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swimmers are experiencing an increase in bacterial borne illnesses from swimming at many popular Great Lakes beaches. The beaches in the Great Lak...

Can persuasive and demonstrative messages to visitors reduce littering in river beaches?

PubMed

Cingolani, Ana M; Barberá, Iván; Renison, Daniel; Barri, Fernando R

2016-12-01

Littering of public areas is a significant problem worldwide. Here we evaluate the success of persuasive and demonstrative messages at reducing littering in highly visited river beaches in Argentina. We made an intervention at the beaches which consisted of a personalized verbal request asking visitors to take their litter to the waste cans (persuasive message) while they were exposed to the example of picking up the litter already left on the beach (demonstrative message). We conducted 102 observations distributed over 29 dates, two years and four beaches. Each observation consisted of three or four rounds: before the presence of visitors we cleaned the beaches, during the stay of visitors we made the intervention (once or twice) in two out of the four beaches, and early next morning we estimated the amount of litter left per beach. Litter weight ranged from 0 to 53gvisitor -1 day -1 . Littering per visitor was reduced an average of 35% due to the intervention (p=0.049). We also found differences among beaches (p=0.001), and an increase in littering with crowding (p=0.005). We show for the first time that the personalized request combined with the example of picking up litter is effective in reducing littering in a Latin American country. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Observations of transport of bacterial-like microspheres through beach sand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gast, Rebecca J.; Elgar, Steve; Raubenheimer, Britt

2015-04-01

Often, there is an order of magnitude more fecal indicator bacteria (enterococci) in beach sand than in nearby water. Consequently, sand is considered a reservoir for these bacteria, potentially contributing to poor water quality, and raising questions regarding the human health risks associated with sand exposure. An integral aspect of the distribution and persistence of sand-associated enterococci is the transport of bacteria introduced into the beach environment. Here, plastic microspheres are used as a proxy to examine the wave-induced movement of bacterial-like particles through sand on an ocean beach. Laboratory tests suggest microspheres and bacteria move similarly through sand columns, and have qualitatively similar short-term adsorption-to-sand behavior. Microspheres buried ~0.05 m below the sand surface on an ocean beach moved rapidly [O(10-3) m/s] away from their initial location, both vertically into the ground water below the sand and horizontally seaward within the sediment matrix in response to waves running up the beach face and percolating through the sand.

KSC-08pd1764

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-06-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – 2008 Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman leaves the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, emulating the exit of shuttle crews before a launch. At left is Janet Petro, Kennedy's deputy center director. Behind them are Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig (left) and Daytona 500 Experience General Manager Kim Isemann. Newman is visiting Kennedy in honor of NASA's 50th anniversary and the 50th running of NASCAR's Daytona 500 in February. NASA presented Newman two green racing flags that were flown last February aboard space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission to the International Space Station. One flag was given to Newman, the second was presented to Daytona 500 Experience General Manager Kim Isemann. A third flag that was flown will be kept by NASA for public display. The connection between NASA and Daytona's International Speedway extends beyond their close proximity to one another. During recent years, technology developed for the space program has found many uses on Earth, including helping NASCAR drivers stay safe and increase performance. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

High Resolution Forecasts in the Florida Straits: Predicting the Modulations of the Florida Current and Connectivity Around South Florida and Cuba

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kourafalou, V.; Kang, H.; Perlin, N.; Le Henaff, M.; Lamkin, J. T.

2016-02-01

Connectivity around the South Florida coastal regions and between South Florida and Cuba are largely influenced by a) local coastal processes and b) circulation in the Florida Straits, which is controlled by the larger scale Florida Current variability. Prediction of the physical connectivity is a necessary component for several activities that require ocean forecasts, such as oil spills, fisheries research, search and rescue. This requires a predictive system that can accommodate the intense coastal to offshore interactions and the linkages to the complex regional circulation. The Florida Straits, South Florida and Florida Keys Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model is such a regional ocean predictive system, covering a large area over the Florida Straits and the adjacent land areas, representing both coastal and oceanic processes. The real-time ocean forecast system is high resolution ( 900m), embedded in larger scale predictive models. It includes detailed coastal bathymetry, high resolution/high frequency atmospheric forcing and provides 7-day forecasts, updated daily (see: http://coastalmodeling.rsmas.miami.edu/). The unprecedented high resolution and coastal details of this system provide value added on global forecasts through downscaling and allow a variety of applications. Examples will be presented, focusing on the period of a 2015 fisheries cruise around the coastal areas of Cuba, where model predictions helped guide the measurements on biophysical connectivity, under intense variability of the mesoscale eddy field and subsequent Florida Current meandering.

The Beach--A Natural Protection from the Sea.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sensabaugh, William M.

1983-01-01

The beach and sand dunes are the first line of defense protecting the land from the sea. The effectiveness of the beach is caused by its sloping surface which dissipates the energy of waves and by the flexibility of the slope which changes as the waves change. The process and rate of accretion and erosion are dependent on the size and frequency of…

78 FR 72022 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Wrightsville Beach, NC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-02

... accommodate the 2014 Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Full and Half Marathon. This deviation allows the bridge to... INFORMATION: The Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Full and Half Marathon committee on behalf of the North Carolina... requested deviation will accommodate the 2014 Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Full and Half Marathon scheduled...

78 FR 669 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Wrightsville Beach, NC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-04

... the 2013 Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Full and Half Marathon. This deviation allows the bridge to... Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Full and Half Marathon committee on behalf of the North Carolina Department of... accommodate the 2013 Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Full and Half Marathon scheduled for Sunday, March 17, 2013...

77 FR 5184 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Wrightsville Beach, NC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-02

... is necessary to accommodate the Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Full and Half Marathon. This deviation.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Full and Half Marathon committee on behalf of the... Wrightsville Beach Full and Half Marathon scheduled for Sunday, March 18, 2012. To facilitate this event, the...

Microplastics in tourist beaches of Huatulco Bay, Pacific coast of southern Mexico.

PubMed

Retama, I; Jonathan, M P; Shruti, V C; Velumani, S; Sarkar, S K; Roy, Priyadarsi D; Rodríguez-Espinosa, P F

2016-12-15

The presence and impacts of plastic marine debris (PMD) have been documented in the oceans worldwide, and they deserve special attention. This study is the first to report the presence of microplastics in tourist beaches located in Huatulco Bay, southern Mexico. A total of 70 beach sediment samples (for 2 distinct seasons) were collected from Huatulco Bay in April 2013 and December 2014. The samples were subsequently extracted by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to identify the fibrous microplastics (diameter<5mm). The maximum number of fibrous materials was found in April 2013 and December 2014 in the Rincón Sabroso beach (48/30g sediment) and the Cuatunalco beach (69/30g sediment), respectively. Overall, a high amount of microplastics is present in the Conejos, Tangolunda, Santa Cruz, and San Agustin beaches. The microplastics are mainly derived from tourism-based activities and effluents discharged from the hotels and restaurants located along the beaches. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

RECREATIONAL BEACH WATER QUALITY MONITORING WITH QUANTITATIVE POLYMERASE CHAIN

EPA Science Inventory

Recreational beaches are an important economic and aesthetic asset to communities, states and the nation as a whole. Considerable resources are expended each year in monitoring the water at these beaches for fecal indicator bacteria as a means of determining if it is safe for pu...

Effects of beach morphology and waves on onshore larval transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujimura, A.; Reniers, A.; Paris, C. B.; Shanks, A.; MacMahan, J.; Morgan, S.

2015-12-01

Larvae of intertidal species grow offshore, and migrate back to the shore when they are ready to settle on their adult substrates. In order to reach the habitat, they must cross the surf zone, which is characterized as a semi-permeable barrier. This is accomplished through physical forcing (i.e., waves and current) as well as their own behavior. Two possible scenarios of onshore larval transport are proposed: Negatively buoyant larvae stay in the bottom boundary layer because of turbulence-dependent sinking behavior, and are carried toward the shore by streaming of the bottom boundary layer; positively buoyant larvae move to the shore during onshore wind events, and sink to the bottom once they encounter high turbulence (i.e., surf zone edge), where they are carried by the bottom current toward the shore (Fujimura et al. 2014). Our biophysical Lagrangian particle tracking model helps to explain how beach morphology and wave conditions affect larval distribution patterns and abundance. Model results and field observations show that larval abundance in the surf zone is higher at mildly sloped, rip-channeled beaches than at steep pocket beaches. Beach attributes are broken up to examine which and how beach configuration factors affect larval abundance. Modeling with alongshore uniform beaches with variable slopes reveal that larval populations in the surf zone are negatively correlated with beach steepness. Alongshore variability enhances onshore larval transport because of increased cross-shore water exchange by rip currents. Wave groups produce transient rip currents and enhance cross-shore exchange. Effects of other wave components, such as wave height and breaking wave rollers are also considered.

Geographic relatedness and predictability of Escherichia coli along a peninsular beach complex of Lake Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nevers, M.B.; Shively, D.A.; Kleinheinz, G.T.; McDermott, C.M.; Schuster, W.; Chomeau, V.; Whitman, R.L.

2009-01-01

To determine more accurately the real-time concentration of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in beach water, predictive modeling has been applied in several locations around the Great Lakes to individual or small groups of similar beaches. Using 24 beaches in Door County, Wisconsin, we attempted to expand predictive models to multiple beaches of complex geography. We examined the importance of geographic location and independent variables and the consequential limitations for potential beach or beach group models. An analysis of Escherichia coli populations over 4 yr revealed a geographic gradient to the beaches, with mean E. coli concentrations decreasing with increasing distance from the city of Sturgeon Bay. Beaches grouped strongly by water type (lake, bay, Sturgeon Bay) and proximity to one another, followed by presence of a storm or creek outfall or amount of shoreline enclosure. Predictive models developed for beach groups commonly included wave height and cumulative 48-h rainfall but generally explained little E. coli variation (adj. R2 = 0.19-0.36). Generally low concentrations of E. coli at the beaches influenced the effectiveness of model results presumably because of low signal-to-noise ratios and the rarity of elevated concentrations. Our results highlight the importance of the sensitivity of regressors and the need for careful methods evaluation. Despite the attractiveness of predictive models as an alternative beach monitoring approach, it is likely that FIB fluctuations at some beaches defy simple prediction approaches. Regional, multi-beach, and individual beach predictive models should be explored alongside other techniques for improving monitoring reliability at Great Lakes beaches. Copyright ?? 2009 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Spatial variability of macrobenthic zonation on exposed sandy beaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veiga, Puri; Rubal, Marcos; Cacabelos, Eva; Maldonado, Cristina; Sousa-Pinto, Isabel

2014-07-01

We analysed the consistence of vertical patterns of distribution (i.e. zonation) for macrofauna at different spatial scales on four intermediate exposed beaches in the North of Portugal. We tested the hypothesis that biological zonation on exposed sandy beaches would vary at the studied spatial scales. For this aim, abundance, diversity and structure of macrobenthic assemblages were examined at the scales of transect and beach. Moreover, the main environmental factors that could potentially drive zonation patterns were investigated. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the number of biological zones ranged from two to three depending on the beach and from indistinct zonation to three zones at the scale of transect. Therefore, results support our working hypothesis because zonation patterns were not consistent at the studied spatial scales. The median particle size, sorting coefficient and water content were significantly correlated with zonation patterns of macrobenthic assemblages. However, a high degree of correlation was not reached when the total structure of the assemblage was considered.

Contamination of New Jersey beach sand with magnetite spherules from industrial air pollution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hassinan, W.T.; Puffer, J.H.

1992-01-01

Spherical particles composed of magnetite, typically 120 [mu]m to 2,450 [mu]m in diameter, are accumulating in the beach sands of New Jersey. Most magnetite spherule surfaces are highly polished but some are corroded or abraded. Their interiors are typically vesicular. Magnetite spherules from 213 New Jersey beach sand samples collected during May 1991 are chemically and morphologically the same as those filtered from industrial smokestacks and the air supplied of Newark, New Jersey and Philadelphia. The average concentration of spherules in New Jersey beach sand is 35 per kg throughout the northern 43 km of beach south of Newark (frommore » Sandy Hook to Belmar Beach). They are rare to absent in the central 86 km stretch of beach but average 34 per kg of sand throughout the southern 91 km of beach east of Philadelphia (from Ventnor City to Villas Beach). The distribution of magnetite spherules in New Jersey beach sand is consistent with a transport pathway model that involves: (1) Prevailing wind dispersal from industrial sources, (2) erosion of spherules that have settled out of the air into the surface drainage system that flows toward the New Jersey coast and (3) longshore transport of spherule contaminated sand away from inlets identified as locations where most of the spherules enter the beach system. The spherules, therefore, are useful tracers indicating how industrial airborne fallout is transported to and along shorelines. The distribution pattern is consistent with generally northward longshore currents north of the Manasquan inlet and generally southward longshore currents south of the Abescon inlet.« less

Ecology of exposed sandy beaches in northern Spain: Environmental factors controlling macrofauna communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lastra, M.; de La Huz, R.; Sánchez-Mata, A. G.; Rodil, I. F.; Aerts, K.; Beloso, S.; López, J.

2006-02-01

Thirty-four exposed sandy beaches on the northern coast of Spain (from 42°11' to 43°44'N, and from 2°04' to 8°52' W; ca. 1000 km) were sampled over a range of beach sizes, beach morphodynamics and exposure rates. Ten equally spaced intertidal shore levels along six replicated transects were sampled at each beach. Sediment and macrofauna samples were collected using corers to a depth of 15 cm. Morphodynamic characteristics such as the beach face slope, wave environment, exposure rates, Dean's parameter and Beach State Index were estimated. Biotic results indicated that in all the beaches the community was dominated by isopods, amphipods and polychaetes, mostly belonging to the detritivorous-opportunistic trophic group. The number of intertidal species ranged from 9 to 31, their density being between 31 and 618 individuals m - 2 , while individuals per linear metre (m - 1 ) ranged from 4962 to 17 2215. The biomass, calculated as total ash-free dry weight (AFDW) varied from 0.027 to 2.412 g m - 2 , and from 3.6 to 266.6 g m - 1 . Multiple regression analysis indicated that number of species significantly increased with proximity to the wind-driven upwelling zone located to the west, i.e., west-coast beaches hosted more species than east-coast beaches. The number of species increased with decreasing mean grain size and increasing beach length. The density of individuals m - 2 increased with decreasing mean grain size, while biomass m - 2 increased with increasing food availability estimated as chlorophyll-a concentration in the water column of the swash zone. Multiple-regression analysis indicated that chlorophyll-a in the water column increased with increasing western longitude. Additional insights provided by single-regression analysis showed a positive relationship between the number of species and chlorophyll-a, while increasing biomass occurred with increasing mean grain size of the beach. The results indicate that community characteristics in the exposed

78 FR 25383 - Amendment of Class E Airspace; West Palm Beach, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-01

...-0922; Airspace Docket No. 12-ASO-38] Amendment of Class E Airspace; West Palm Beach, FL AGENCY: Federal... West Palm Beach, FL area, as new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) have been developed at Palm Beach County Park Airport. Airspace reconfiguration is necessary for the continued safety and...

Type and Quantity of Shipborne Garbage at Selected Tropical Beaches

PubMed Central

Husain, Mohd-Lokman

2016-01-01

Marine debris is widely distributed at the coastal area of the global oceans; however, shipborne garbage source studies are still lacking to document the pollution in Malaysia Territorial Water. Thus, this study has adopted a standard method of beach marine debris survey at five beaches and inspected 115 vessels to assess the type and amount of debris from shipping source stranded on the beach. This study found that vessel visiting Malaysian ports observed the MARPOL 73/78 Annex V requirements; however, identified objects from shipping activity (1.3%; 2 items/km) found on the beaches indicate that there are vessels disposing of garbage illegally at sea. Therefore, there is a need to promote the use of biodegradable material and introduce environmental education to increase awareness on the vessel. PMID:27819020

Type and Quantity of Shipborne Garbage at Selected Tropical Beaches.

PubMed

Mobilik, Julyus-Melvin; Ling, Teck-Yee; Husain, Mohd-Lokman; Hassan, Ruhana

2016-01-01

Marine debris is widely distributed at the coastal area of the global oceans; however, shipborne garbage source studies are still lacking to document the pollution in Malaysia Territorial Water. Thus, this study has adopted a standard method of beach marine debris survey at five beaches and inspected 115 vessels to assess the type and amount of debris from shipping source stranded on the beach. This study found that vessel visiting Malaysian ports observed the MARPOL 73/78 Annex V requirements; however, identified objects from shipping activity (1.3%; 2 items/km) found on the beaches indicate that there are vessels disposing of garbage illegally at sea. Therefore, there is a need to promote the use of biodegradable material and introduce environmental education to increase awareness on the vessel.

Assessment of Enterococcus Levels in Recreational Beach Sand Along the Rhode Island Coast.

PubMed

Coakley, Eugenie; Parris, Amie L; Wyman, Al; Latowsky, Gretchen

2016-04-01

Recent studies have shown that coastal beach sand as well as coastal ocean water can be contaminated with fecal indicator Enterococcus bacteria (ENT). A study of sand ENT concentrations over a four-week period at 12 Rhode Island beaches was conducted during the summer of 2009. While average contamination was low relative to water quality standards, every beach had at least one day with very high sand ENT readings. On 10 of the 12 beaches, a statistically significant gradient occurred in geometric mean ENT concentrations among tidal zones, with dry (supratidal, or above high tide mark) sand having the highest level, followed by wet (intratidal, or below high tide mark) and underwater sand. Beaches with higher wave action had significantly lower ENT levels in wet and underwater sand compared to beaches with lower wave action.

Bodies that Matter: Performing White Possession on the Beach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreton-Robinson, Aileen

2011-01-01

Beaches remain important places within indigenous coastal peoples' territories, although the silence about our ownership is deafening. Many authors have argued that within Australian popular culture the beach is a key site where racialized and gendered transgressions, fantasies, and desires are played out, but none have elucidated how these…

Equilibrium shoreline response of a high wave energy beach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yates, M.L.; Guza, R.T.; O'Reilly, W. C.; Hansen, J.E.; Barnard, P.L.

2011-01-01

Four years of beach elevation surveys at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California, are used to extend an existing equilibrium shoreline change model, previously calibrated with fine sand and moderate energy waves, to medium sand and higher-energy waves. The shoreline, characterized as the cross-shore location of the mean high water contour, varied seasonally by between 30 and 60 m, depending on the alongshore location. The equilibrium shoreline change model relates the rate of horizontal shoreline displacement to the hourly wave energy E and the wave energy disequilibrium, the difference between E and the equilibrium wave energy that would cause no change in the present shoreline location. Values for the model shoreline response coefficients are tuned to fit the observations in 500 m alongshore segments and averaged over segments where the model has good skill and the estimated effects of neglected alongshore sediment transport are relatively small. Using these representative response coefficients for 0.3 mm sand from Ocean Beach and driving the model with much lower-energy winter waves observed at San Onofre Beach (also 0.3 mm sand) in southern California, qualitatively reproduces the small seasonal shoreline fluctuations at San Onofre. This consistency suggests that the shoreline model response coefficients depend on grain size and may be constant, and thus transportable, between sites with similar grain size and different wave climates. The calibrated model response coefficients predict that for equal fluctuations in wave energy, changes in shoreline location on a medium-grained (0.3 mm) beach are much smaller than on a previously studied fine-grained (0.2 mm) beach. Copyright ?? 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Quality of Tourist Beaches in Huatulco, SW of Mexico: Multiproxy Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retama, I.; Jonathan, M. P.; Rodriguez-Espinosa, P. F.

2014-12-01

40 beach water and sediment samples were collected from the inter-tidal zones of tourist beaches of Huatulco in the State of Oaxaca, South Western part of Mexico. The samples were collected in an aim to know the concentration pattern of metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, Co, Mn, Fe, As, Hg) in sediments and microplastics. Physico-chemical parameters like temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and total dissolved solids, salinity and redox potential. Collection of samples was done during the peak season in April 2013. Our results from water samples indicate that the physico-chemical conditions of the beach water have been altered due to human activities in large numbers. The bioavailable metal concentrations indicate that enrichment of Pb, Cd, Cr and As and it is also supported by the higher values observed from the calculation of enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index. The higher values in the sediments is either due to natural sources like chemical weathering of rocks and external sources, which points to high tourism, agricultural activities in the region. Identification of micro-plastics was done through SEM photographs, indicating the type of plastic wastes deposited into the beach regions which can indicate the density, durability and the persistence level in the sediments. Eventhough the enrichment of metals and modification of beach water quality is observed, care need to be taken to avoid further damage to the coastal ecosystem. Keywords: Tourism, Beach sediments, Beach water, Micro plastics, Trace metals, Contamination indices, Huatulco, Mexico.

36 CFR 3.17 - What regulations apply to swimming areas and beaches?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... swimming areas and beaches? 3.17 Section 3.17 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BOATING AND WATER USE ACTIVITIES § 3.17 What regulations apply to swimming areas and beaches? (a) The superintendent may designate areas as swimming areas or swimming beaches in...

Spatiotemporal surface moisture dynamics on a coastal beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smit, Y.; Donker, J.; Ruessink, G.

2017-12-01

Surface moisture strongly controls aeolian transport on a beach and, accordingly, understanding its spatiotemporal variability will aid in developing a predictive model for the aeolian input of wind-blown beach sand into the foredune. In our earlier work (Smit et al., 2017, Aeolian Research) we have illustrated that the reflectance signal of a near-infrared Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) corresponds well to gravimetric surface moisture content (in %) over its full range. Here, we analyze TLS-derived surface moisture maps with a 1x1 m spatial and a 15-min temporal resolution and concurrent groundwater measurements collected during a falling and rising tide at Egmond beach, the Netherlands. The maps show that the beach can be conceptualized into three surface moisture zones. First, the swash zone: 18% - 25%. Second, the intertidal zone: 5% - 25% (large fluctuations). A striking result for this zone is that surface moisture can decrease with a rate varying between 2.5% - 4% per hour, and cumulatively 16% during a single falling tide. And third, the back beach zone: 3% - 7%. During falling tide surface moisture fluctuations are strongly linked to the behavior of groundwater depth. A clear `Van Genuchten-type' retention curve can describe the relation between the two. Furthermore, no anticipated processes by capillary forces were observed in advance of the rising tide and no hysteresis was observed over de complete tidal cycle. Concluding, the TLS-derived moisture maps and the groundwater measurements clearly show that groundwater depth is the key control on spatiotemporal surface moisture variations.

Quantitative analysis of plastic debris on recreational beaches in Mumbai, India.

PubMed

Jayasiri, H B; Purushothaman, C S; Vennila, A

2013-12-15

Plastic litter was quantified on four sandy beaches in Mumbai. The mean abundance of 7.49 g and 68.83 items per square metre was recorded. The abundance of plastics significantly varied among the beaches showing an increasing trend in the southern part. The abundance of plastics by weight in Dadar was significantly higher than that in Aksa. The size fractionation of plastics proved that small particles (1-20 mm) are predominant with 41.85% microplastics (1-5 mm) which emphasizes the high risk to marine organisms due to possible ingestion. The highest quantity of microplastics was seen in Juhu beach (55.33%) followed by Versova, Aksa and Dadar. The major contributing factors for the abundance are beach usage for different activities such as recreational, religious and fishing which suggest that the land-based sources provide major inputs to plastic pollution in these beaches. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen Research at Florida Universities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Block, David L.; T-Raissi, Ali

2009-01-01

This final report describes the R&D activities and projects conducted for NASA under the 6-year NASA Hydrogen Research at Florida Universities grant program. Contained within this report are summaries of the overall activities, one-page description of all the reports funded under this program and all of the individual reports from each of the 29 projects supported by the effort. The R&D activities cover hydrogen technologies related to production, cryogenics, sensors, storage, separation processes, fuel cells, resource assessments and education. In the span of 6 years, the NASA Hydrogen Research at Florida Universities program funded a total of 44 individual university projects, and employed more than 100 faculty and over 100 graduate research students in the six participating universities. Researchers involved in this program have filed more than 20 patents in all hydrogen technology areas and put out over 220 technical publications in the last 2 years alone. This 6 year hydrogen research program was conducted by a consortium of six Florida universities: Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida State University (FSU) and Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, and University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville. The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) of the University of Central Florida managed the research activities of all consortium member universities except those at the University of Florida. This report does not include any of the programs or activities conducted at the University of Florida, but can be found in NASA/CR-2008-215440-PART 1-3.

Tools for beach health data management, data processing, and predictive model implementation

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2013-01-01

This fact sheet describes utilities created for management of recreational waters to provide efficient data management, data aggregation, and predictive modeling as well as a prototype geographic information system (GIS)-based tool for data visualization and summary. All of these utilities were developed to assist beach managers in making decisions to protect public health. The Environmental Data Discovery and Transformation (EnDDaT) Web service identifies, compiles, and sorts environmental data from a variety of sources that help to define climatic, hydrologic, and hydrodynamic characteristics including multiple data sources within the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Great Lakes Beach Health Database (GLBH-DB) and Web application was designed to provide a flexible input, export, and storage platform for beach water quality and sanitary survey monitoring data to compliment beach monitoring programs within the Great Lakes. A real-time predictive modeling strategy was implemented by combining the capabilities of EnDDaT and the GLBH-DB for timely, automated prediction of beach water quality. The GIS-based tool was developed to map beaches based on their physical and biological characteristics, which was shared with multiple partners to provide concepts and information for future Web-accessible beach data outlets.

Field Guide to Beaches. Early Science Curriculum Project Pamphlet Series PS-7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoyt, John H.

The study of beaches and their capacity as an interface between land, air, and water is presented. Students investigate shore phenomena to better understand the beach's history and possible future. Also discussed is the interaction between man and the beach, from weather effects to pollution. Laboratory investigations of samples collected from the…

Ghost crab populations respond to changing morphodynamic and habitat properties on sandy beaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucrezi, Serena

2015-01-01

The morphodynamic state and habitat properties of microtidal sandy beaches largely account for variations in macrofauna structure. In ecological theory, the habitat harshness hypothesis and the habitat safety hypothesis explain variations in macrofauna populations of the intertidal and supratidal zones of sandy beaches. The former hypothesis states that intertidal macrofauna should increase from reflective to dissipative beaches. The latter hypothesis supports the idea that supratidal species are more successful on reflective beaches, given their relative independence from the swash. However, trends in abundance of supratidal species, particularly crustaceans, have been unclear and further investigation is therefore needed. This study tested the two hypotheses on the largest invertebrate intertidal-to-supratidal crustacean on sandy beaches, namely the ghost crab (genus Ocypode). Variations in ghost crab burrow density, abundance, size and across-shore distribution were measured on four warm-temperate microtidal sandy beaches in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Burrow numbers increased with beach morphodynamic state, while average burrow size decreased. The steepest, narrowest and most inundation-prone beach represented the least hospitable environment for the ghost crabs. The results that are reported here tend to support the habitat harshness hypothesis. However, the relevance of i) individual physical variables, ii) tidal action, and iii) the ecology of various species, in shaping ghost crab population dynamics, is also discussed. The results contribute to the knowledge regarding population dynamics of intertidal and supratidal crustaceans across beach types.

Plastic litter accumulation on high-water strandline of urban beaches in Mumbai, India.

PubMed

Jayasiri, H B; Purushothaman, C S; Vennila, A

2013-09-01

Today, almost every beach on every coastline is threatened by human activities. The inadequate recycling and poor management of waste in developing countries has resulted in considerable quantities of plastic contaminating beaches. Though India has long coastline of 5,420 km along the mainland with 43 % of sandy beaches, data on litter accumulation, particularly the plastics, which are one of the most common and persistent pollutants in marine environment, are scanty. The abundance and distribution of plastic litter was quantitatively assessed in four sandy beaches in Mumbai, India, bimonthly from May 2011 to March 2012. Triplicates of 2 × 2 m (4 m(2)) quadrats were sampled in each beach with a total of 72 quadrats. Overall, average abundance of 11.6 items m(-2) (0.25-282.5 items m(-2)) and 3.24 g m(-2) (0.27-15.53 g m(-2)) plastic litter was recorded in Mumbai beaches. Plastic litter accumulation significantly varied temporally and spatially at p = 0.05. Significantly higher plastic litter accumulation was recorded in Juhu beach. Furthermore, the highest abundance by weight was recorded in November and May numerically. More than 80 % of plastic particles were within the size range of 5-100 mm both by number and weight. Moreover, coloured plastics were predominant with 67 % by number of items and 51 % by weight. Probably, the intense use of beaches for recreation, tourism, and religious activities has increased the potential for plastic contamination in urban beaches in Mumbai.

Improving water quality through California's Clean Beach Initiative: an assessment of 17 projects.

PubMed

Dorsey, John H

2010-07-01

California's Clean Beach Initiative (CBI) funds projects to reduce loads of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) impacting beaches, thus providing an opportunity to judge the effectiveness of various CBI water pollution control strategies. Seventeen initial projects were selected for assessment to determine their effectiveness on reducing FIB in the receiving waters along beaches nearest to the projects. Control strategies included low-flow diversions, sterilization facilities, sewer improvements, pier best management practices (BMPs), vegetative swales, and enclosed beach BMPs. Assessments were based on statistical changes in pre- and postproject mean densities of FIB at shoreline monitoring stations targeted by the projects. Most low-flow diversions and the wetland swale project were effective in removing all contaminated runoff from beaches. UV sterilization was effective when coupled with pretreatment filtration and where effluent was released within a few hundred meters of the beach to avoid FIB regrowth. Other BMPs were less effective because they treated only a portion of contaminant sources impacting their target beach. These findings should be useful to other coastal states and agencies faced with similar pollution control problems.

Coastal erosion vulnerability and risk assessment focusing in tourism beach use.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexandrakis, George

2016-04-01

It is well established that the global market for tourism services is a key source of economic growth. Especially among Mediterranean countries, the tourism sector is one of the principal sectors driving national economies. With the majority of the mass tourism activities concentrated around coastal areas, coastal erosion, inter alia, poses a significant threat to coastal economies that depend heavily on revenues from tourism. The economic implications of beach erosion were mainly focused in the cost of coastal protection measures, instead of the revenue losses from tourism. For this, the vulnerability of the coast to sea level rise and associated erosion, in terms of expected land loss and economic activity need to be identified. To achieve this, a joint environmental and economic evaluation approach of the problem can provide a managerial tool to mitigate the impact of beach erosion in tourism, through realistic cost-benefit scenarios for planning alternative protection measures. Such a multipurpose tool needs to consider social, economic and environmental factors, which relationships can be better understood when distributed and analyzed along the geographical space. The risk assessment is implemented through the estimation of the vulnerability and exposure variables of the coast in two scales. The larger scale estimates the vulnerability in a regional level, with the use environmental factors with the use of CVI. The exposure variable is estimated by the use of socioeconomic factors. Subsequently, a smaller scale focuses on highly vulnerable beaches with high social and economic value. The assessment of the natural processes to the environmental characteristics of the beach is estimated with the use of the Beach Vulnerability Index (BVI) method. As exposure variable, the value of beach width that is capitalized in revenues is implemented through a hedonic pricing model. In this econometric modelling, Beach Value is related with economic and environmental

Documenting the global impacts of beach sand mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, R.; Griffith, A.

2009-04-01

For centuries, beach sand has been mined for use as aggregate in concrete, for heavy minerals, and for construction fill. The global extent and impact of this phenomenon has gone relatively unnoticed by academics, NGOs, and major news sources. Most reports of sand mining activities are found at the very local scale (if the mining is ever documented at all). Yet, sand mining in many localities has resulted in the complete destruction of beach (and related) ecosystems along with severe impacts to coastal protection and tourism. The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University and Beachcare.org have initiated the construction of a global database of beach sand mining activities. The database is being built through a combination of site visits and through the data mining of media resources, peer reviewed papers, and reports from private and governmental entities. Currently, we have documented sand mining in 35 countries on 6 continents representing the removal of millions of cubic meters of sand. Problems extend from Asia where critical infrastructure has been disrupted by sand mining to the Caribbean where policy reform has swiftly followed a highly publicized theft of sand. The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines recently observed extensive sand mining in Morocco at the regional scale. Tens of kilometers of beach have been stripped of sand and the mining continues southward reducing hope of a thriving tourism-based economy. Problems caused by beach sand mining include: destruction of natural beaches and the ecosystems they protect (e.g. dunes, wetlands), habitat loss for globally important species (e.g. turtles, shorebirds), destruction of nearshore marine ecosystems, increased shoreline erosion rates, reduced protection from storms, tsunamis, and wave events, and economic losses through tourist abandonment and loss of coastal aesthetics. The threats posed by sand mining are made even more critical given the prospect of a

Research on pathogens at Great Lakes beaches: sampling, influential factors, and potential sources

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2013-01-01

The overall mission of this work is to provide science-based information and methods that will allow beach managers to more accurately make beach closure and advisory decisions, understand the sources and physical processes affecting beach contaminants, and understand how science-based information can be used to mitigate and restore beaches and protect the public. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with many Federal, State, and local agencies and universities, has conducted research on beach health issues in the Great Lakes Region for more than a decade. The work consists of four science elements that align with the USGS Beach Health Initiative Mission: real-time assessments of water quality; coastal processes; pathogens and source tracking; and data analysis, interpretation, and communication. The ongoing or completed research for the pathogens and source tracking topic is described in this fact sheet.

Heart Rate and Motion Analysis by GPS in Beach Soccer

PubMed Central

Castellano, Julen; Casamichana, David

2010-01-01

Although beach soccer has become increasingly popular in recent years very little scientific research has been conducted into the sport. A pilot study was carried out with the aim of examining the physiological (heart rate) and physical (motion analysis) responses of beach soccer players during competitive matches. Ten players (age 25.5 ± 0.5 years; height 1.80 ± 0.08 m; weight 78.2 ± 5.6 kg.) were studied over five beach soccer matches. The physiological demands were analysed by measuring heart rate (HR) using telemetric devices, while the physical profile was evaluated by recording motion and speed by means of GPS devices. During competitive matches, players obtained a HRmean of 165.2 bpm (86.5% HRmax), with 59.3% of the time participating (TP) corresponding to values above 90% of the HRmax. The distance covered per minute of participation was 97.7 m, with 9.5% of this distance corresponding to high-intensity running and 2.5% to sprint; the work:rest ratio was 1.4:1 and the maximum speed 21.7 km·h-1. These results showed that beach soccer is an intermittent physical activity of greater intensity than other team games. It requires a major contribution from the anaerobic system as emphasis is placed on players making quick bursts of high-intensity activity separated by brief rest periods. Key points The distance covered per minute of play is around 100 m. Beach soccer is an intermittent sport with a work:rest ratio of 1.4:1. The playing surface in beach soccer is an important handicap to obtain maximum speeds. Beach soccer has a high physiological intensity, with more than half of the game is spent at intensities above 90 % of the HRmax. PMID:24149392

On the profile evolution of three artificial pebble beaches at Marina di Pisa, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertoni, Duccio; Sarti, Giovanni

2011-07-01

In this paper, the profiles of three artificial coarse-grained beaches located at Marina di Pisa (Tuscany, Italy) were monitored from April 2008 to May 2009 in order to define the response of the beaches to major storms that occurred during the study. Two beaches are similar, the third differs in length and in the level of protection, being less than half the length of the others and devoid of an offshore submerged breakwater. The work was achieved by means of accurate topographic surveys intended to reconstruct the beach profile from the backshore up to the foreshore-upper shoreface transition (step). The surveys were performed with an RTK-GPS instrument, which provided extremely precise recording of the beach. The most significant features of the beaches were tracked during each survey; in particular, the landward foot of the storm berm, the crest of the storm berm, the coastline, and the step crest were monitored. Five cross-shore transects were traced on each beach. Along these transects, any meaningful slope change was recorded to obtain accurate sections of the beach. The field datasets were processed with AutoCAD software to compare the beach profile evolution during the year-long research. The results showed a comparable evolution of the twin beaches: the resulting storm berm retreat of about 15 to 19 m is a remarkable feature considering the coarse grain size and the offshore protection. Due to the absence of the breakwater, the third beach was characterized by even higher values of recession (over 20 m), and showed hints of wave reflection-related processes after the huge, steep storm berm had been formed and grown after the high energy events. These processes were not as evident on the twin beaches. These results underline the different response of three similar protection schemes, and the importance that frequent monitoring of the beach morphology holds when it comes to coastal management issues.