BRICK, N.J. (AP) More than five months after Superstorm Sandy roared through, destroying hundreds of houses and damaging thousands more, Brick no longer has dunes on its beaches.

Instead, it has piles of hastily-arranged sand serving as emergency barriers that are all but begging to be washed away.

So when Mayor Stephen Acropolis emerged from a meeting Thursday with New Jersey environmental officials who told him a federal beach-replenishment project probably wouldn't take place in Brick until next year, his resolve to have the town do something on its own only hardened.

Brick is one of many Jersey shore towns considering new and costly ways to protect their shoreline in the aftermath of Sandy. Some are turning to sand-filled fabric tubes that would form the base for new dunes. Others are looking at expanding protective rock walls or so-called groin fields, which are rock piles placed offshore. Many towns are paying for the work themselves.

"We're sitting out here naked, with no dunes," Acropolis said. "I call them sand castle piles. You get a full moon high tide and they're gone."

Earlier this week, Brick's township council explored the idea of placing a geotube, a huge sand-filled tube, covering it with sand and planting dune grass atop it to form the basis of a new dune system. After hearing about the delay in the federal beach-widening project, Acropolis predicted the council would be even more supportive of the $7.5 million project, for which Brick would probably have to borrow money.

It would join its neighbor Mantoloking, the New Jersey community hardest by the storm, in using the tubes to help rebuild dunes. The strategy has been used in other Jersey shore towns including Ocean City, Atlantic City and Sea Isle City, among others.

Homeowners in Bay Head, on the other side of Mantoloking, got permission from the state to expand a protective rock wall, paying for it themselves. The project would extend an existing 4,500-foot wall by another 1,300 feet.

In Avalon, the council agreed Wednesday night to study beach protection technology including a groin field rock piles placed in the water and parallel to the shoreline. The rocks would have small gaps between them large enough to let water and sand flow through but small enough to blunt the force of large waves and storm surges.

"It is our responsibility to examine innovative ways to provide a greater level of protection for our community while preserving our beaches and dunes that often take the brunt of significant coastal storms," said Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi.

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NJ shore towns eye new ways to protect beaches

BOSTON, April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Metropolitan Beaches Commission (MBC) has reconvened to assess the state of the Boston Harbor region's public beaches and held its first public hearing, Monday, April 8, 2013. The Commission, originally established in 2006 by the Massachusetts Legislature, will examine the impacts of the reforms and recommendations made in its first report and make recommendations for further improvement under the leadership of co-chairs State Senator Tom McGee and State Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein. There will be a second public hearing in May 2013, followed by a hearing in each of the nine communities from Nahant to Nantasket beginning in June 2013.

"These public hearings will give the region's residents an opportunity to share their ideas about how to improve our region's public beaches, and give the Commission the chance to assess where we are today and where we hope to go in the future," said Commission Co-Chair Senator Tom McGee. "Working together, I am confident that we can protect what we have accomplished since 2007 and help move these beaches from good towards great."

The Commission was created in 2006 to take an in-depth look at the Commonwealth's public beaches managed by the DCR. This year the Commission will issue additional findings and recommendations to better leverage these resources for all the residents of the regions' coastal communities in the future. As in 2006, the Commission will hold nine public hearings in the towns of Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, and Hull. The hearings and final report will further identify and showcase economic development opportunities for local communities made possible by public investment in clean water, better beaches and our waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities.

"We've made great strides on these beaches for all the region's families," said Commission Co-Chair Representative Reinstein. "They have truly benefited from public and private sector investments in our beaches and it's important that we don't lose the progress we have made."

The Metropolitan Beaches Commission is comprised of elected officials and community, civic, nonprofit, and business leaders from across the region. The 2013 MBC Commissioners are:

Co-Chair Thomas McGee, State Senator, Third Essex

Co-Chair Kathi-Ann Reinstein, State Representative, Sixteenth Suffolk

Carlo Basile, State Representative, First Suffolk

Kip Becker, Boston University

Barbara Bishop, Speaker DeLeo's Office

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Metropolitan Beaches Commission Reconvenes To Examine Area Beaches From Nahant To Nantasket

A smoking ban on some city beaches could become a ban at all city beaches, if one local council member gets his wish. Inhale and exhale a cigarette and fork over $100. A smoking ban just approved for seven city beaches could soon cover every city beach on Oahu.

"If we are going to protect public health we are not going to protect public health at some of our parks and more or else ignore public health at the majority of our parks," said Honolulu City Councilman Ikaika Anderson.

Anderson said it's not just about spreading the law island-wide, but the last bill had flaws. There were specifications that didn't allow full enforcement except at Ala Moana Beach Park. He said the new bill would now fix that problem.

"The main urgency here is that we need to protect the legal flaws that are in the ordinance that the City Council passed," said Anderson.

Where there's smoke, there's fiery debate.

"I think that it's good because there's no trash and it will look nice," said Briana Kailiaha who supports the ban.

"We should be able to just pick up our own butts wherever we smoke," said beach goer Dana Kuanoo.

Click here to vote in the online poll.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell supports the expanded restrictions because he said it would get rid of the trash on the beach.

"For me when you go to the beach it's about breathing clean fresh air. It's not about getting second-hand smoke blown in your face by the trades, and it's not about putting your butts in the sand as an ashtray," said Caldwell.

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New push to ban smoking at all city beaches island-wide

MIDDLE TWP. On both sides of New Jersey, dump trucks are depositing sand and bulldozers are racing against time to spread it out.

Along the Atlantic Ocean, the goal is to restore beaches destroyed by Superstorm Sandy before the tourists arrive. But along Delaware Bay, in Cumberland and Cape May counties, the beaches need to be ready before the endangered shorebirds arrive.

A potential environmental crisis looms that could further deplete the number of already endangered shore birds that depend on beaches along the states western coast as a stopover in their South America-to-Arctic migration.

The October storm that caused so much devastation along the ocean also pounded the bays coast, flooding homes and washing away beaches. It is those lost beaches that could spell disaster for species such as the red knot, a bird already on New Jerseys endangered species list and one thats been proposed for inclusion on the federal list.

Red knots and other shorebirds land on Delaware Bay beaches by the hundreds of thousands each May, gorging themselves on horseshoe crab eggs to fatten up for the second half of their arduous 10,000-mile migration to Canada. But Sandy washed away about 70 percent of the beaches where horseshoe crabs lay their eggs and where the birds pig out each spring.

New Jersey environmental officials and private ecological groups are teaming up to restore the beaches, racing against time to truck tons of new sand in, spread it around and haul away obstructions such as old, wrecked bulkheads and pilings that keep crabs from reaching their breeding sands.

If we dont do something about the sand in these places, were looking at a potentially catastrophic effect on the shorebirds when they arrive in May, said Larry Niles, a wildlife biologist supervising the work.

The project started March 18 and will cost more than $900,000 from a mix of public and private sources. Its first phase should be done by late April.

A second phase will involve establishing oyster reefs just offshore to protect the shallow water in which horseshoe crabs spend significant time. The reefs are designed to absorb some of the force of waves before they reach the shore, cutting down on erosion and minimizing stress on the crabs.

(Page 2 of 2)

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NJ rebuilds bayside beaches crucial to birds

NEW YORK (MYFOXNY) -

All of Long Island's state parks and beaches, whichsuffered significant damagein Superstorm Sandy,are expected to reopen in time for the Memorial Day weekend, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.

"Our parks and beaches are not only popular destinations for vacationers, but they are also important economic drivers for our communities," Cuomo said. "We will continue to work diligently to ensure that these great assets are in safe and good condition for visitors to enjoy this summer."

However, many of the parks and beaches will continue to undergo repairs and renovations.

The storm battered Long Island's beaches and parks, causingdamage toroads, landscaping, and infrastructure. Beacheserosion was so severe that natural vegetation was lost.

Thislist from the state indicatesthe changes and work that will continue at the beaches and parks this summer:

Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park Memorial Day Weekend Status: OPEN Tree stumps and debris will still be stockpiled and a tree contractor will be working in the park during the summer.

Belmont Lake State Park Memorial Day Weekend Status: OPEN Tree work and fence repair will be on going.

Bethpage State Park Memorial Day Weekend Status: OPEN Tree work will be complete.

Brentwood State Park Memorial Day Weekend Status: OPEN Fence repair will be ongoing.

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State beaches, parks on Long Island to reopen Memorial Day weekend

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. --The Beaches Council for the Disabled has been working more than for twenty years to make First Coast beaches more accessible for those with disabilities by adding ramps, showers, parking spaces and beach wheelchairs.

"I usually walk with a walker; I was born with Cerebral Palsy. I was born two months early."

Kara Tucker is the President of the Beaches Council for the Disabled, but she also knows first-hand the importance of those with disabilities to be able to access the beach.

"To be able to go on the beach with my walker is not necessarily easy because I don't have the big balloon wheels like the chair has," says Tucker.

According to Gary Fiske, who sits on the council's Board of Directors, those balloon wheels and their PVC pipe frames aren't easy to maintain.

"Salt gets into the bearings, wears them out," Fiske explains.

"Just like anything else down here on the beach, it's really rough out here, with the salt and sand it takes a number on anything, whether it's PVC or stainless steel, it still takes a beating."

The chairs aren't cheap either. Fiske was one of three police officers who pushed for the addition of the first beach wheelchairs back in the early 80's. He said each one costs about $1100.

However, beach-goer, Mallory Courtney, said it is well worth the cost. She said a car accident left one of her friends paralyzed, but seeing her still get to experience the beach brought her to tears.

"We pushed her down to the beach, she got to touch the sand, she played with it with her hands and everything, and it was just a phenomenal thing to watch," Courtney says.

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Beaches prepare for those with disabilities

MIDDLE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) On both sides of New Jersey, dump trucks are depositing sand and bulldozers are racing against time to spread it out.

Along the ocean, the goal is to restore beaches destroyed by Superstorm Sandy before the tourists arrive. But along Delaware Bay, the beaches need to be ready before the endangered shore birds arrive.

A potential environmental crisis looms that could further deplete the number of already endangered shore birds that depend on beaches along the state's western coast as a stopover in their South America-to-Arctic migration.

The October storm that caused so much devastation along the ocean also pounded the bay's coast, flooding homes and washing away beaches. It is those lost beaches that could spell disaster for species such as the red knot, a bird already on New Jersey's endangered species list and one that's been proposed for inclusion on the federal list.

Red knots and other shore birds land on Delaware Bay beaches by the hundreds of thousands each May, gorging themselves on horseshoe crab eggs to fatten up for the second half of their arduous 10,000-mile migration to Canada. But Sandy washed away about 70 percent of the beaches where horseshoe crabs lay their eggs and where the birds pig out each spring.

New Jersey environmental officials and private ecological groups are teaming up to restore the beaches, racing against time to truck tons of new sand in, spread it around and haul away obstructions such as old, wrecked bulkheads and pilings that keep crabs from reaching their breeding sands.

"If we don't do something about the sand in these places, we're looking at a potentially catastrophic effect on the shore birds when they arrive in May," said Larry Niles, a wildlife biologist supervising the work.

The project started March 18 and will cost more than $900,000 from a mix of public and private sources. Its first phase should be done by late April.

A second phase will involve establishing oyster reefs just offshore to protect the shallow water in which horseshoe crabs spend significant time. The reefs are designed to absorb some of the force of waves before they reach the shore, cutting down on erosion and minimizing stress on the crabs.

Much of the work is centered on a 5.5-mile stretch of bay beaches between Middle Township and Maurice River Township in Cape May County. Tons of sand is being trucked in to Kimbels Beach in Middle Township, which lost most of its sand. The plan is to add a 2-foot-tall beach about 50 feet wide; metal markers 10 yards out into the bay indicate how far east the new sand will eventually be piled.

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NJ rebuilding bayside beaches crucial to birds

Fire rings remain a tradition for many

Which came first, the concrete fire ring or "Beach Blanket Bingo?" I would have to say that the concrete fire ring came first.

When I was a teenager in the 1940s, that was one of the special events on the weekends - going to Castle Rock and having a "weenie bake" and making s'mores! The fire rings were called old-fashioned campfires. It was all innocent fun in those days with no mishaps of excessive drinking or being loud, obnoxious or starting fights. The other fire ring enthusiasts would share their victuals with one another in a cordial way, and many romances started at the fire rings ended up in marriage.

In later years, when my kids were of an age that they knew how to behave, all the same fire ring friends would meet on a summer night to resume the weenie bakes. No excessive drinking, being loud, obnoxious or starting fights.

I would hate to see the fire rings go, but I can understand the opponents'' grievances about the environment and the mayhem that can be caused. -- Lois Eisenberg, Valencia

Public beaches belong to all of us

For too long, the wealthy have been doing their best to make our country into a government of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich. Their efforts to ban fire pits at the beaches is another effort to fulfill that dream.

"How dare those unwashed peasants build fires close to our mansions?" is

Well, we unwashed peasants must stand up to those oligarchs and let them know they don't own the seacoast. It belongs to We the People! And if We the People want to enjoy fire pits at our beaches, no one - not even the rich - should prevent us.

I have a question: Did our forefathers fight and die in the War of Independence so that only those who are wealthy can enjoy the seaside -- or so that all of us can enjoy it? -- David Quintero, Monrovia

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Readers respond: Should beaches ban age-old rings of fire?

TMMC Sea Lion Pups Stranged on SoCal Beaches
Valerie and Ranel are in this NBC Nightly News video, working at the The Marine Mammal Center last Friday! Ranel is (ironically) cutting up fish, and Valerie...

By: Steven Porter

Excerpt from:

TMMC Sea Lion Pups Stranged on SoCal Beaches - Video

For nearly 70 years, visitors to the D-Day beaches have stared out to sea and recalled the moment when one of the largest fleets ever assembled emerged from the Channel mist on 6 June 1944.

Within a couple of years that view could be changed forever by an immense off-shore wind-farm.

As The Independent revealed two years ago, a site in the Bay of the Seine, six miles off the invasion beaches, has been selected by the French government for an array of 75 wind generators, each of them more than half the height of the Eiffel Tower.

Protests launched by commemorative and environmental groups have since spread around the world. Thousands of people, including many from Britain and Canada, have signed a petition organised by a group called European Platform Against Windfarms. Weve had calls from Canada, England, the US, saying France cannot do this to us, said Jean-Louis Butr, chairman of the organisation. People are very upset. One former RAF Group Captain said that, if necessary, he would come back and bomb the beaches again.

The 1.8bn (1.5bn) project is popular in Normandy, where it will create 7,000 jobs and pump millions of euros in taxes into a stumbling local economy. It forms part of an ambitious strategy to provide almost a quarter of Frances needs from renewable energy by the end of the decade.

Over the next four months, an official debate including 11 public meetings is taking place across lower Normandy to consider arguments for and against the project. The president of the special commission running the debate which is neutral and independent wants the voices of Britons, including veterans and their families, to be heard.

These beaches are not just French beaches. They are also British beaches and American beaches and Canadian beaches, Claude Brvantold The Independent. They are a place of great, symbolic importance. We in France have a duty to be aware of that.

One public debate, in Arromanches on 12 June, will take place in English and French.

Some of the British veterans organisations tell us that they dont want to get involved in anything political, Ms Brevan said. This is not political. It is an independent public debate on an issue of great importance. If there are British questions, worries or complaints about this project, we want to hear about them now.

The wind-farm 75 large generators, 175m high, covering an area of 50 sq km would be built six miles off the small seaside town and fishing port of Courseulles-sur-Mer. On June 6 1944, the sands either side of the town formed Juno Beach where 21,000 Canadian and British troops fought their way ashore, with the loss of 359 lives.

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Will they site them on the beaches ? D-Day for veterans' fight to stop Normandy wind farms

Waste water has bypassed treatment plants and flowed into Sydney beaches eight times in as many weeks, the NSW opposition says, raising questions about the effectiveness of recent upgrades.

Swimmers at pollution hotspots north and south of Sydney have been urged to keep out of the water after recent heavy rainfall.

Opposition water spokesman Walt Secord says hundreds of thousands of litres of untreated water, including sewage overflows, have been allowed to flow into Sydney and Illawarra beaches.

'I acknowledge that we had rains, but these plants were supposed to have been upgraded to respond to such incidents,' he said.

The opposition says eight treatment plants were placed on bypass between February and April, meaning waste water went straight into waterways.

'These waste water treatment plants are coastal ones rather than deep ocean outfalls,' Mr Secord said.

But Sydney Water general manager of service delivery Eric de Rooy says claims that raw sewage was released into beaches are completely untrue.

'These waste water flows received screening, primary treatment and disinfection before being released,' he said in a statement.

'The waste water treatment plant is working as it is designed to do, and operating within the regulations set by the EPA.'

Sydney Water said on Thursday that a partial bypass had been put in place at Warriewood and Cronulla waste water treatment plants following heavy downpours across the city on Wednesday night.

Link:

Waste water polluting beaches - NSW oppn

CAPTIONS

Stranded sea lion A juvenile sea lion sits on shore near the Huntington Beach Pier. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times /March 31, 2013)

April 1, 2013, 2:32 p.m.

Federal marine wildlife officials said that a mass stranding of malnourished sea lion pups along the Southern California coast since January has intensified in recent weeks and researchers remain unsure of the cause.

Officials declared an "unusual mortality event" for the California sea lion, a designation that prompts immediate federal response after a significant die-off of a marine mammal population.

The declaration comes as sea lion pups have been found stranded on Southern California beaches -- from Santa Barbara to San Diego -- at rates exponentially higher than in years past.

In Los Angeles, for instance, nearly 400 pups have been stranded since the beginning of the year. Last year, just 36 were reported stranded.

As of March 24, officials said, 214 were reported stranded in San Diego County; 189 in Orange County; 108 in Santa Barbara County; and 42 in Ventura County.

The pups that survived have filled marine mammal sanctuaries along the coast, which have taken in record number of pups for this time of year.

The young pups have shown up lethargic and severely underweight, with their bones showing through their slick fur. It takes months of nursing to build up their health and their weight in order to be returned to the wild.

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Sea lion pups washing up on SoCal beaches at alarming rate

Sandy Bauers, Inquirer Staff Writer Posted: Tuesday, April 2, 2013, 3:01 AM

The sand trucks are running. The bulldozers are spreading.

A nearly $1 million effort is under way to restore Delaware Bay beaches that are - or were, before Hurricane Sandy ravaged them - crucial turf for spawning horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds that depend on crab eggs for refueling.

On beaches where there was once ample sand for the crabs to dig into and deposit their eggs, biologists surveying the area after the storm found rugged tufts of sod, which had underlain the sand - part of $50 million in damage to bird habitats affected by Sandy.

"We saw somewhere between a 50 and 70 percent loss of breeding beaches for horseshoe crabs in just one storm," said Larry Niles, a New Jersey biologist who has been studying the red knot and horseshoe crab connection for decades.

Months ago, he was worried that when the birds and crabs arrived in May, as they do every year, "we'd have a real problem." The crabs would have no place to spawn, and the birds would have no food.

In a race against time, he and others set out to try to find enough money to restore the beaches.

While some homeowners on the Atlantic shore still wait for insurance money to come through for their properties, private foundations came to the rescue of the wildlife habitat.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps of Engineers expedited the permitting process.

The work will restore a 2.5-mile stretch of beach between Moores Beach and Pierces Point, both in Cape May County.

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Restoring Delaware Bay beaches in time for return of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds

31st March 2013

Half of Britain's beaches have been judged 'unsafe' for bathing by the Marine Conservation Society

According to the Marine Conservation Society, over half of the 754 beaches tested for dirty water at the end of last summer were not safe for swimming. Out of 754 beaches, only 403 beaches were fit for bathing, 113 less than the year before.

The MCS coastal pollution officer Rachel Wyatt commented: We have recommended fewer beaches in every English region and in Wales and Scotland. In England, the north-west and south-west were particularly badly hit with the fewest number of recommended beaches for at least a decade.

The reason for such a high number of unsafe beaches has been blamed on the last year's poor summer, one of the wettest on record. The high levels of rain and flooding led to an increase in bacteria and viruses in bathing water, stemming from agricultural run-off, septic tanks and dog waste.

Swimmers or bathers who come into contact with such bacteria may suffer from ear, nose, and throat infections, or in severe cases, the Marine Conservation Society warned, gastroenteritis.

According to the MCS, in order for British beaches to cope with a potential influx of wetter summers, beach infrastructure needs to be updated, preventing sewage from flowing into the sea.

The MCS was hopeful that things can be improved for Britain's beaches, as promising local partnerships determined to identify and fix problems now, could prevent the long-term dirtying of Britain's coast.

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50% of British beaches 'unsafe for swimming'

WASHINGTON (AP) More than 4 out of 5 Americans want to prepare now for rising seas and stronger storms from climate change, a new national survey says. But most are unwilling to keep spending money to restore and protect stricken beaches.

The poll by Stanford University released Thursday found that only 1 in 3 people favored the government spending millions to construct big sea walls, replenish beaches or pay people to leave the coast.

This was the first time a large national poll looked at how Americans feel about adapting to the changes brought on by global warming, said survey director Jon Krosnick, a professor of political science and psychology at Stanford.

The more indirect options the majority preferred were making sure new buildings were stronger and reducing future coastal development. New building codes rated the highest with 62 percent of those surveyed favoring it.

Three in 5 people want those who are directly affected by rising seas to pay for protection, rather than all taxpayers.

Krosnick said the low favorability of sea walls and sand replenishment "reflect the public's fatalistic sense that it's more realistic to just give up the beach than to try to save it when other storms in the future will just wash it away again."

The nationally representative survey of 1,174 Americans conducted online by GfK Custom Research has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

University of Miami geology professor Harold Wanless, who wasn't involved in the survey, said he was at a Miami Beach meeting on Thursday with business and political leaders on how to try to keep from losing their "hugely expensive" land. But they are afraid of spending money in vain attempts that won't work.

There are three ways the public can deal with the effects of rising seas on beaches, said coastal geology professor S. Jeffress Williams of the University of Hawaii. He is an expert on sea level rise and methods of adapting to it. You can "hold the line" with expensive sea walls, retreat and leave the beach, or compromise with sand dunes and beach replenishing.

Sand dunes helped protect the New Jersey town of Seaside Park more than its dune-less neighbor Seaside Heights when Superstorm Sandy hit last fall, said Laurie Mcgilvray, a government coastline science expert.

Link:

Americans oppose paying for storm-ravaged beaches

Miles of soft sand, swaying palm trees, and the lure of the sparkling ocean make the City of Angels a magnet for surf-and-sun devotees. Yet with over 90 beaches and 75 miles of shoreline in Los Angeles County, it can be difficult for visiting families to know where to begin. When compiling this go-to list of great kid-friendly beaches, we gave top priority to cleanliness. Each of our picks consistently makes the A-list from Heal the Bay, an organization that measures and tracks pollution at 475 California beaches. We also considered location, amenities, and family-fun vibe. These five beaches get top marks on all fronts, so lather on the sunscreen and bring the kids.

With its photogenic pier and tony neighborhood, this South Bay classic has a certain star quality. Pristine waters invite swimming, boogie boarding and surfing, but the beach is perhaps most famous for what happens on the sand. More than 50 beach volleyball nets make this the volleyball capital of SoCal. Theres also a childrens play area, coastline bike path, restrooms, and showers. At the end of the 928-foot pier is the free Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium, where kids can touch starfish, ogle seahorses, and learn about sea life. Fishing along the pier is allowed year-round.

Welcome to people-watching heaven. Venice is famous for its funky boardwalk and constant parade of street performers, jugglers, musicians, and bikini-clad roller-skaters. There is always a good crowd, yet thanks to the wide stretches of sand, theres also plenty of room for picnics or tossing a Frisbee. Lifeguards are stationed during daylight hours. Splash in the waves or hang ten at the Venice Breakwater, a popular surf spot located north of the Venice Pier. The boardwalk is packed with shops selling skim boards and beach clothing, and theres also a smorgasbord of tasty eateries.

One of the largest stretches of sand in Los Angeles County, this perennial family beach delivers a quintessential California beach experience, with waves that beg for body surfing and a vast expanse of silky white sand. (Parents will be equally grateful for lifeguards, ample parking, and two food huts that serve tasty food and drinks.)

Zuma is also a wonderful place to watch whales make their winter migration, from late December to March. For the best vantage, hike to the lookout atop nearby Point Dume. Note that Zuma lies beyond Santa Monica Bay and receives heavy breakers, so be alert for strong currents and riptide warnings posted by lifeguards.

If youve got nature-loving kids, this state ecological preserve is a blast to explore. Wear sturdy shoes to trek down relatively easy trails from scenic bluff tops to tide pools teeming with sea urchins, starfish, anemones and other marine life. This is an outstanding picnic spot, with spectacular views of Catalina Island. Lifeguards are on duty during summer hours and weekends only.

Situated right beneath the LAX flight path (the jets are noisy but fun for kids to watch), this is a surprisingly great place to swim, bask in the sun, fish by the jetties, or play volleyball. Plan to stay later in the day, so you can gather around a fire pit and watch the sunset. As L.A.s only beach with fire pits and an oceanfront RV Park, Dockweiler is always bustling. Happily, its 288 acres ensures theres plenty of room for everyone.

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Awesome L.A. Beaches

Welcome to #DunkCity - The Beaches of Fort Myers Sanibel - home of the FGCU Eagles!
Welcome to The Beaches of Fort Myers Sanibel a.k.a. Dunk City, home of Florida Gulf Coast University ( FGCU ). Go Eagles! #DunkCity #WeAreFGCU Song: "Dunk ...

By: FtMyersSanibel

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Welcome to #DunkCity - The Beaches of Fort Myers

Great Yarmouth, Britannia Pier & Theatre / Central Beach. Picture: James Bass

David Bale Wednesday, March 27, 2013 10:08 AM

All of Norfolks beaches have passed stringent water quality tests, despite one of the wettest summers on record.

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Nationwide, the heavy rain experienced in 2012 has led to a significant fall in the number of UK beaches achieving recommended - the top standard - for their excellent water quality in the 2013 Good Beach Guide.

But our region fared better with 11 out of 14 beaches in Norfolk and five out of six in Suffolk being recommended in the guide.

The standard below recommended is guideline followed by mandatory and then fail.

Among the Norfolk beaches achieving recommended were Gorleston, Great Yarmouth South and Pier, Caister Point, Hemsby, Sea Palling, Mundesley, Cromer, East Runton, Sheringham, and Wells.

In Suffolk, Southwold The Pier, which rose from mandatory, and Lowestoft South and North of Claremont Pier, were among those recommended.

Yarmouth North dropped from recommended to mandatory and Southwold The Denes remained mandatory.

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Norfolk beaches pass water quality tests

The Marine Conservation Society's Good Beach Guide revealed that 42 British beaches last year failed to meet minimum EU levels for bathing water - a rise of 17 beaches from 2011's figures.

Only 403 of the UK's 754 beaches (53 per cent) were given the top 'recommended' award for water quality last year - 113 fewer beaches than the previous guide.

Some of the beaches which did not meet water quality levels included those at family-friendly resorts like Bude in Cornwall and Blackpool.

The Marine Conservation Society identified 42 beaches with water which did not meet mandatory bathing standards - you can see where they are on the map above.

The downgraded figures have been blamed on last year's washout summer, which caused all manner of water problems nationwide.

The rain and flooding led to an increase in bacteria and viruses in bathing water, coming from a variety of sources such as agricultural and urban run-off, storm waters, plumbing misconnections, septic tanks and dog waste.

Bathers are at risk of ear, nose and throat infections and even gastroenteritis, the Marine Conservation Society said.

Swimmers can be exposed to pathogens, which can enter the ears, eyes, mouth and nose.

Skin is also exposed to infection through swimming near polluted waters.

The health consequences include urinary tract infections, flu-like illnesses, dermatitis, sinusitis and deep tissue or blood infections through open wounds.

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What are the health risks for swimmers on Britain's beaches ?

The pollution can give bathers ear, nose and throat infections and even gastroenteritis, the Marine Conservation Society said.

The Met Office has warned that wet summers could become more frequent.

The MCS said that therefore infrastructure need to be updated so that during floods sewage does not flow into the sea.

The also called for reduced pollution from farms and urban areas, ahead of tougher EU rules on water quality coming in from 2015.

MCS coastal pollution officer Rachel Wyatt said: "We have recommended fewer beaches in every English region and in Wales and Scotland. In England, the north west and south west were particularly badly hit with the fewest number of recommended beaches for at least a decade.

"Action must be taken now. With stricter bathing water standards from 2015 and summers that appear to be getting wetter, the iconic image of people bathing off golden beaches could be at serious risk.

"There is no simple solution to sewage and animal waste reaching our seas. However if the water industry, communities and local authorities recognise that there is a problem and begin to work together to find answers that would be a significant start."

The MCS said there were some promising local partnerships working together to identify problems and start trying to fix them, but in too many places there was an "out of sight, out of mind mentality" over water pollution.

The situation is a turn around from last year, when a record number of beaches were given the top "recommended" award for their water quality.

The South West saw a number of its previously recommended beaches fail last year, including Plymouth Hoe East and West, Shaldon and Exmouth in Devon, East Looe and Bude Summerleaze in Cornwall and Charmouth West in Dorset.

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Half of beaches judged unsafe for swimming