Beaches the World Over

While every beach is unique, they share common management issues and resource protection concerns. The public and managers throughout the world are concerned about visitor safety, health and enjoyment while maintaining the delicate ecology of these coastal areas. Communication between various public, private groups and individuals are essential to meeting these goals. Help us share information on beach water quality, beach safety and ecology by sharing information and participating in the Beach Network and its related listserve, beachnet.

Sponsors include the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center, Great Lakes Beach Association and the Great Lakes Information Network.

Land at the Edge
What is a beach? It depends who you ask . To a geologist a beach is a geological formation consisting of loose rocks particles such as sand, gravel, pebbles of cobbles and in some instances shell that exists along the shoreline of any body of water. To an ecologist a beach is the entire system of sand set in motion by waves to a depth of several meters off coast but past the storm berm. To the tourist it may be coastal areas associated with surf, sand, sea life and sunshine. Regardless, it is a delicate, unstable environment which exposes plants, animals and humans to the harsh conditions of life on an edge. Our mission is to protect that natural environment while assuring safe enjoyment of these valuable resources and its delicate ecology. The land at the edge has provided civilizations for thousands of years with sustenance, exploration and trade. Today coastal areas are all of the above as well as a major recreational destination. Beaches are the number one destination point for vacationers the world over. In the United States alone, 910 million trips were taken and 44 billion dollars spent annually.