Eric Negroni, 10, an Ashton Elementary School student, picks up trash on Siesta Key Beach during Saturday's International Coastal Cleanup.

SARASOTA - A troop of volunteers wearing neon green T-shirts joined Saturday morning beachgoers, scouring the sand for forgotten wrappers, lost water bottle caps and discarded cigarette butts.

Nearly 1,900 volunteers pitched in to remove litter from Sarasota County beaches for the annual International Coastal Cleanup. Last year, volunteers with Keep Sarasota County Beautiful collected 270 bags of trash and recyclables from area beaches, said Wendi Crisp, the program coordinator.

Friends, schools and churches organized groups of volunteers at Siesta Key and 28 other beaches and parks. Not only did the volunteers pick up trash and separate the recyclables, but they meticulously tallied each piece of litter for the Washington D.C.-based Ocean Conservancy.

The Ocean Conservancy collects the data gleaned by volunteers around the world to track discarded waste items and the threat they pose to marine life.

Some items take years to decompose in the ocean, threatening fish and birds that may eat a plastic bag or tangle with old fishing line. Aluminum cans can take 200 years to decompose, according to the Ocean Conservancy.

I can't walk past trash on the beach, said Sara Jane Bush, who coordinated volunteers from First United Methodist Church. She is the chair of the church's Earth Stewardship committee, which began with a lecture series and expanded to community programs, like joining the coastal cleanup effort.

It's not safe, Bush said about the glass and plastic polluting the ocean. A former volunteer with the Mote Marine Laboratory's turtle patrol, she said helium balloons with strings that land in the ocean can be fatal if eaten by a turtle. Sharp objects that wash up on the beach can also be hazardous to barefoot runners and swimmers.

On Siesta Key, the volunteers wearing bright shirts that read Keep Sarasota County Beautiful written on the front and Volunteer on the back dotted the beach, as they spread out in pairs and small groups to collect and tally the litter.

Ron Hallock, who runs a handyman and landscaping service, said Saturday's cleanup was his second.

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Volunteers hit the beaches for Coastal Ceanup

Mumbai, Sept. 16 -- To encourage and educate people keep coastal areas and beaches clean, the service personnel of the Indian Coast Guard along with their families, NGOs and students launched a coastal clean-up drive at Juhu and Girgaum Chowpatty beaches in Mumbai on Saturday. The clean-up was undertaken as part of the International Coast Clean-up 2012. Other beaches along the Maharashtra ...

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Clean-up drive at city beaches

Surf Life Saving Australia says unmanned aerial drones will patrol some Queensland beaches this summer.

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Aerial drones to patrol Queensland beaches

A beach at HonSon Island, Kien Hai District, the southern province of Kien Giang

Think beaches in Vietnam, and chances are Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, or Da Nang will spring to mind. Not many people in fact know that down south, in Kien Giang Province, are some remote beautiful beaches.

Kien Hai District, some 30 kilometers from the provinces capital Rach Gia, has 23 islands with beaches that are famous locally like Nha (house), Chen (bowl), Bang, and Bac.

Chen Beach in Hon Tre Island, the districts capital, is the most famous.

Only over 100 meters of its two-kilometer length is sandy. The rest is covered with rocks that look uncannily like overturned bowls when the tide is high. One can go hundreds of meters into the sea without getting the feet wet by walking on the rocks.

With a small rented boat and a fishing rod, tourists can start a leisurely day of fishing 300 meters from shore. Another recommended activity is buying seafood directly from fishermen, usually for cheap, having them cooked, and enjoying them right on the beach.

Not far from Chen is Dong Dua (coconut cavern), which is actually a little bay covered by coconut trees and rocks.

While the island is usually compared to a floating turtle, its tail is Duoi Ha Ba Beach, whose name, translated literally, means sea gods tail. The beach, also known as Dua (pineapple), gets narrower and narrower until it disappears under water.

It is full of rocks, some high enough for climbing. It is also a favorite fishing location for locals since its fish stocks are said to be plentiful because of submerged caves. People often catch groupers weighing a couple of kilograms here.

HOW TO GET THERE

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Kien Giang’s rocking beaches

Dump trucks full of sand will rumble through northern Broward County on an estimated 50,000 trips, under a plan to restore eroded beaches that may begin as early as next year.

The County Commission last week agreed to ask the state for help in funding the $44 million project to widen beaches from northern Fort Lauderdale to southern Pompano Beach. Under the most optimistic scenario, the work would begin in November, 2013, and take two years.

Environmentalists fear the project could end up burying offshore reefs, home to protected stands of staghorn coral. But coastal residents and business have been pressing for the restoration works for years, as they anxiously watched the surf inch closer to condominium towers, hotels and restaurants.

"The need for our beaches to be renourished is well overdue," said Pio Ieraci, president of the Galt Mile Community Association, which represents the row of oceanfront high rises between Oakland Park and Commercial boulevards. "We have water lapping up on some of the sea walls. Without our beach, what do we have? It's a draw for tourists and it brings sorely needed capital to our economy."

Beaches account for $548 million a year in spending and 17,700 full-time jobs in Broward County, according to the Broward County Department of Environmental Protection and Growth Management. Coral reefs also contribute a lot, with the reefs of Martin, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties accounting for $3.4 billion in business, according to a 2004 study.

Broward plans to acquire 750,000 cubic yards of sand from mines in Florida's interior, which dig up long-buried beaches from the time when sea levels were higher and Florida's coastline was farther inland.

A lot of newly placed beach sand typically washes away, and this would smother offshore stands of staghorn coral and other marine life on the reefs, said Dan Clark, of the environmental group Cry of the Water.

"You can't stack that stuff on the beach without burying the near shore reefs," he said.

Unless the project is altered to avoid harm to the reefs, he said his organization is likely to file a legal challenge.

He said that rather than damaging natural resources, the county should plug illegal storm water discharges along the beach, which wash away sand. County commissioners agreed and told county beach renourishment chief Eric Myers to return with a report on how to deal with these.

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Massive parade of trucks needed to restore eroded Broward beaches

By Sarah N. Mattero, Globe Correspondent

Two more great white sharks have been tagged off Chatham Harbor, prompting the closure of Lighthouse Beach and several other beaches along the coast, the Chatham harbormaster said Thursday.

Personnel from the Division of Marine Fisheries used their harpoon tagging technique to tag the sharks from their fishing vessel on Thursday. They tagged one 18-foot-shark in the morning and a 16-foot shark in the afternoon, said Greg Skomal, the states shark expert.

In addition to Lighthouse Beach, all eastern-facing ocean beaches remain closed from the Orleans/Chatham line to Nauset Beach until further notice. All other public beaches remain open to swimming.

Swimmers are encouraged to be aware of their surroundings and not swim within 300 feet of seals and report any shark sightings to the harbormasters office, at 508-945-5185.

On Aug. 31, two great white sharks, roughly 14 and 16 feet in length, were tagged 100 yards off the coast of Orleans.

There have been 15 sharks tagged so far this season, Skomal said.

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Beaches closed after two more sharks are tagged off Chatham Harbor

A great white was tagged off Chatham Thursday. (Photo Courtesy: George Breen/CapeCodSharkHunters.com)

CHATHAM (CBS) A handful of beaches in Chatham have been closed to swimming indefinitely after marine biologists tagged a 20-foot great white leaving Chatham Harbor.

Officials say they made their decision after that shark sighting, along with two buoy readings that indicated other tagged sharks had entered the harbor on August 30 and September 9.

As a result, Lighthouse Beach and all east facing ocean beaches remain closed from the Orleans/Chatham line south along Nauset Beach to Monomoy until further notice.

Cape beaches have been shut down several times over great white shark concerns this summer.

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Beaches Closed After Great White Sighting In Chatham Harbor

A swimming advisory sign warns visitors to Oak Island of high bacteria levels near the Oak Island Pier in 2010.

Southeastern North Carolina's beaches had just four water quality warnings during the 2012 tourist season, the area's lowest total in four summers, according to records from the state Division of Marine Fisheries.

From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, beaches in Brunswick County and New Hanover County each had one water quality alert and one advisory. Pender County beaches had no reported issues.

That total is the lowest since 2008, when area beaches notched three advisories in the same time period. Officials with the state's water quality testing program said the low numbers are a positive though the success or failure of a particular season is less about the quantity of issued warnings than protecting swimmers and beachgoers.

We don't really look at it that way, said J.D. Potts, the program's director. Our job is to protect public health, and we do whatever necessary to notify the public whenever we have conditions that don't meet the standards.

State workers routinely visit 240 coastal and estuarine sites up and down the shoreline, testing water samples for enterococci, a bacteria that indicates fecal contamination. Of those, 114 high-traffic sites, designated as tier 1, are tested more frequently; 45 are in the Cape Fear region, including Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach.

If a sample tests positive for the bacteria, officials submit a second sample for confirmation and issue a water quality alert. If the second sample returns the same result, the alert is upgraded to an advisory.

That means we've posted a sign at the location and issued a press release, both advising people not to swim, Potts said. But they still can. We don't have the authority to close beaches, but county and state health directors can do that.

Swimmers exposed to fecal contamination are at risk for staph infections, rashes and diarrhea, among other ailments. Still, beach closings are relatively rare, particularly in ocean-side locations, where conditions are much more variable, Potts said.

There are 24 hours between the time you collect the sample and the time it takes to have the analysis completed in the lab, he said. During that 24-hour time, you've had two high tides and two low tides. A lot of water has come and gone ... so we're posting swimming advisories on the conditions of the water 24 hours earlier.

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Coastal water woes wash away

SAND KEY (FOX13) -

Tropical Storm Debby not only damaged Pinellas beaches by an estimated $25 million, she also threatens the current $34 million renourishment of Sand Key.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed that there's going to be enough sand in our borrow area to fill the whole project to the south end," county coastal manager Andy Squires said. "So there's a chance we could run short of sand."

He said rebuilding Sand Key is consuming more sand than expected because T.S. Debby increased the areas to be filled.

The Army Corps of Engineers says emergency repairs to beaches outside the current project area will not be possible until 2013 or later. Right after the storm, the goal was to piggyback the emergency work onto the Sand Key project to save money.

But Jackie Keiser, the Corps' dredging program manager, said there is neither enough money nor sand to pursue that option.

Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota and Lee counties all requested disaster relief for beach repairs. Keiser said it will take the rest of the year to review those requests, then the Corps will have to determine if money is available through the federal Flood Control and Coastal Emergency fund.

None of this is good news for tourism-centric beach towns.

"This is our economic life," said North Redington Beach mayor Bill Queen. His town is the last to be renourished in the current project, and therefore is at the most risk if the sand runs out early.

"This beach, this sand, is our economic life for all these communities up and down Pinellas County. We've got to have that sand here," Queen said.

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Not enough sand, money to repair eroded beaches

BP Gulf Coast Restoration Organization President Mike Utsleron Tuesday announced thatthe company has requested permission to "deep clean" beaches on Grand Isle, Grand Terre Island, Fourchon Beach and Elmer's Island to remove oil that was uncovered during Hurricane Isaac. The plan would be aimed at weathered oil deposited in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and covered by sand during Tropical Storm Bonnie later that year.

The deep cleaning process is a beach equivalent of steam cleaning a home's carpet, but would wash sand deeper along the beach than had occurred in earlier removal efforts along those beaches. The process was used extensively along "amenity" beaches used by tourists in Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle.

Utsler said the plan would have to be approved by the Deepwater Horizon Incident Management Team led by the U.S. Coast Guard. Such a plan was rejected in the immediate aftermath of the spill as too dangerous to the environment along those beaches, as the process kills microorganisms and small animals that live in the sand.

Utsler said initial indications are that there has been no additional oiling of inland wetlands in Louisiana, but that high water remaining in the wetlands continues to slow checks. He also said that the tar balls and tar mats found in the aftermath of Isaac was in areas where oil was known to have been onshore, and no new areas have been oiled.

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BP proposes deep cleaning of Louisiana beaches in aftermath of Hurricane Isaac

By Donal Hickey

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Kerry County Council is continuing to monitor beaches where samples showed higher than acceptable levels of E.coli in the water during the summer.

Several of the countys 15 blue flag beaches had significantly elevated results after periods of exceptionally heavy rainfall in June and July, according to the council.

The beaches included Ballinskelligs, Derrynane, Inny Strand, Waterville, and White Strand, Caherciveen. However, the water had returned to good, or excellent, standard by Jul 5.

Other beaches where guidelines levels for water quality were exceeded because of E.coli contamination included Ballybunion, Banna and Ventry.

Similar contamination, exceeding mandatory EU levels, in important beaches in Co Cork received wide publicity last month, with information being provided by Cork County Council to the public, through the media.

Media statements were not issued by Kerry County Council, but information about some affected beaches and the results of water tests in individual beaches were posted on its website.

Contacted by the Irish Examiner yesterday, a council spokesman said they had done everything they were obliged to do in relation to informing the public.

Notices were placed on beaches and, in two instances in Ballinskelligs Beach, in late August, red flags were put up and the HSE informed, he said. "Because of the bad weather, there were very few people on the beaches, in any case, and the situation improved again in a few days."

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Kerry’s beaches still being monitored after wet summer reveals ‘elevated’ E.coli results

The Malta Tourism Authority has announced that with immediate effect, the Blue Flag status of the beaches managed by the MTA is being lifted, as per end-of-season practice.

The beaches at St. George's Bay, St. Julians, the Bugibba Perched beach, the beaches at Ghadira and Qawra Point, will still however be supervised by the MTA's beach management team until the end of the month, though, possibly, certain services will be provided with less frequency than at season's peak.

Lifeguard services will continue to be provided at these beaches although the public is advised to be aware of the times and days that the service is in operation, especially from mid-September onwards. The other beaches managed by the MTA, Fond Ghadir in Sliema and Golden Bay in Ghajn Tuffieha, which have been assigned Beach Of Quality status, will also be supervised and managed accordingly for the next three weeks. The beaches at Ghadira, currently undergoing a space ultilization pilot project until the end of the month, will be retaining most of the beach management services provided by the Authority until the project is concluded.

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Blue flag status of beaches being lifted

BEACHES Negril Resort and Spa has been voted 'World's Best Hotels for Families' for the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda in a reader's survey by the leading Travel + Leisure magazine. Beaches Turks & Caicos copped second place.

Every year Travel + Leisure asks its readers to complete a detailed questionnaire revealing their favourite hotels, destinations and companies which represent the best in hospitality and travel. Hotels are assessed on room/facilities, location, service, restaurants/food and value.

"This award represents the best in world travel so it is truly an honour to be at the forefront. It further underpins the hard work of our dedicated team, as well as our commitment to constantly improving our products and services in order to guarantee visitors to the Caribbean an unparalleled vacation experience," remarked Adam Stewart, chief executive officer of Sandals Resorts International, parent company of Beaches.

Beaches Negril, nestled on the world-renowned seven mile white sand beach, features island charm and, like its sister property in Turks and Caicos, is stamped with a warranty to provide guests with the ultimate Luxury Included family getaway.

With an exhilarating water park, specialty restaurants, premium brand beverages, a wide array of land and water sports, sumptuous food; and an enviable kids' programme, including the Caribbean Adventure with Sesame Street, Beaches Resorts continues to maintain its dominance in the hospitality industry.

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Beaches Negril voted World's Best Hotels for Families

South Beaches Neighbors: Peace celebrations around the areaLorraine ThompsonSouth Beaches News

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South Beaches: Peace celebrations around the area

SEASIDE HEIGHTS — Seaside Heights police have locked gates to the beaches and closed the areas Sunday evening after emergency responders were called to perform two water rescues within three hours.

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Water rescues prompt Seaside Heights police to close beaches

Brighton and Trigg beaches have been closed after a shark was spotted 150m from shore.

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Shark sighting closes Brighton, Trigg beaches

Published: Saturday, September 8, 2012, 12:01 a.m.

With this in mind, an increasing number of cities are creating or allowing "urban beaches:" manmade beaches with sand shipped in for the summer months. For city-bound travelers who don't want to sacrifice their tans, the members and editors at VirtualTourist.com have picked the "Top Five Urban Beaches."

Paris, France: It's not surprising that the culture that gave us the bikini would be the first to figure out how to bring the beach to their fabulous city.

The original "plage urbaine," the Paris Plage began in 2002, with the French converting the Seine's banks into pedestrian areas as well as sandy sunbathing spots.

The plages spread from the Louvre to the Pont de Sully on Voie Georges Pompidou, along the Seine River, and at Port de la Gare and Bassin de la Villette.

Berlin, Germany: The term widely used in Berlin is "beach bar," and they've been popping up along the Spree River since 2002. While these are not necessarily city-created urban beaches, we can't discount them as part of the phenomena, especially since there are almost 30 of them in the summer.

The first documented "beach bar" was Strandbar Mitte. Another popular spot is Oststrand, the city's largest urban beach, where visitors also can relax on the deck of an anchored ship along the river bank.

Copenhagen, Denmark: The Danish design denizens of Copenhagen created an urban beach that strikingly arises from the water and contains no sand.

Havnebadet, or Harbor Bath, at Islands Brygge is a riverside swimming complex, with five pools, two specifically for children, and two diving towers. Across the canal, a similar harbor bath exists at Fisketorvet.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Rue Quai de l'Horloge is complete with sand, brightly colored beach umbrellas and chairs, as well as a traditional wooden boardwalk and refreshment stand.

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Cities fill void by creating ‘urban beaches’

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Swimmers in hot water after entering closed beaches

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Bathers fined for swimming in closed beaches

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Beachgoers fined for swimming at beaches closed by lifeguard strike