The Inertia Associate Editor

San Clemente Pier is the second most polluted beach in California, according to a new report from Heal the Bay. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Blame the rain. In Heal the Bays newly released annual report cardtracking water quality at California beaches, the same wet weather that effectively rescued much of the state from the throes of the drought has resulted in poor water quality in many coastal areas.

Along with rating 416 beaches along the California coast with a straightforward A to F grade (check here to see how your local beach scored), the report calls out ten of the most polluted beaches on what it calls its Beach Bummers list.

Some beaches on the list are hardly surprising Cowells Beach has held the no. 1 or 2 spot since 2010, so no. 3 is a mild improvement. Two Southern California beaches, though, are making their debut on the list (San Clemente Pier, and La Jolla Cove), San Clemente Pier coming in at the second most polluted beach in the state.

The 10 Beach Bummers are as follows:

1. Clam Beach County Park, McKinleyville (Humboldt County)

2. San Clemente Pier, San Clemente (Orange County)

3. Cowells Beach, Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz County)

4. Lakeshore Park, San Mateo (San Mateo County)

5. La Jolla Cove, La Jolla (San Diego County)

6. Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica (Los Angeles County)

7. Capitola Beach, Capitola (Santa Cruz County)

8. Luffenholtz Beach, Trinidad (Humboldt County)

9. Mothers Beach, Marina del Rey (Los Angeles County)

10. Monarch Beach, Dana Point (Orange County)

Heal the Bay rates numbers 1-4 on the list as Fs and 5-10 as Ds. Other beaches of concern include Newport Bay in Orange County, Long Beach, Arroyo Burro Beach in Santa Barbara, Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, and Keller Beach in Richmond.

The report also divides Californias beach grades into types of beaches and season to determine if differences exist in water quality when controlling for these variables. Open ocean beaches during dry summer weather consistently earned the best grades (100% earned As), while enclosed water bodies during wet weather consistently had the poorest water quality (only 28% earned As) seems to fit with prevailing logic.

But what are local activists and environmental groups doing with this information, and how are they seeking to improve the water quality of beaches across the state? According to Surfrider Foundations Water Quality Manager, Mara Dias, the organizations approach is two-pronged.Across the country, volunteers participate in the Blue Water Task Force program, measuring water quality and sharing information with their community. And to minimize the impacts of urban runoff, Surfriders Ocean Friendly Gardens program encourages individuals and communities to contour landscapes to retain water to filter pollution. Local Surfrider chapters have been integral in promoting policy changes to create ocean-friendly landscapes in new developments, and retrofit existing ones.

Dias explains that while Cowells is a repeat offender on the list, an active and engaged local chapter in Santa Cruz has made significant progress isolating the causes of pollution. Surfrider is hopeful that by next year Cowells will show significant improvement.

For the full report including details on the Beach Bummers click here.And to learn more about Surfriders efforts to improve water quality or to get involved check out their website.

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These Are the 10 Most Polluted Beaches in California - TheInertia.com

The Sun Herald

Mother Nature is winning the battle with Mississippi beaches The Sun Herald The Harrison County Sand Beach director is facing another round of repairs after Tropical Storm Cindy caused significant beach erosion in certain areas. The beach was already in bad shape since the last major replenishment project in 2008, and a storm ...

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Mother Nature is winning the battle with Mississippi beaches - The Sun Herald

Photo Boys reacted to the smell near La Jolla Cove, which has made regular appearances on a ranking of the states most polluted beaches. Credit Sam Hodgson for The New York Times

Good morning.

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Some of Californias most celebrated beaches are also the most likely to make you sick.

Heal the Bay, an environmental nonprofit, recently issued its annual report card for bacterial pollution at more than 400 beaches along the Pacific Coast.

Singled out as the least sanitary were destinations like La Jolla Cove, San Clemente Pier, Santa Monica Pier and Santa Cruz Countys Cowell and Capitola beaches.

Heal the Bay divvied out grades by season, using weekly data from April 2016 through March 2017.

During the dry days of summer last year, the vast majority of California beaches had excellent grades.

But winter was a different story. As record rainfall swept through the states cityscapes and pushed billions of gallons of runoff out to sea, water quality plummeted.

Nearly half of California beaches earned grades of C to F during the wet weather, 12 percent more than the five-year average.

Sarah Sikich, Heal the Bays chief scientist, said solutions lie in programs known to mitigate runoff pollution such as increased urban green cover and projects to capture, clean and reuse storm water.

Its indicative of a water mismanagement issue in California, she said. If we were doing a better job of rethinking that runoff we could turn it from a nuisance into a resource.

Coastal geography also plays a role. Cove-like stretches such as those at Cowell and La Jolla are at a disadvantage because pollutants are less readily washed out to sea.

And beaches near creeks, rivers or storm drains absorb the brunt of urban runoff.

Humboldt Countys Clam Beach, which is fed by two creeks, was named Californias most polluted beach by Heal the Bay.

The problem there has vexed local environmentalists who cite a panoply of possible causes: bird poop, campground toilets, old septic systems, livestock and more.

Theres no shortage of theories, said Jennifer Kalt, the director of Humboldt Baykeeper, an environmental group.

Better understood is that bacterial pollution rises sharply immediately after a rain, then typically goes right back to normal. Thats why health experts recommend beachgoers wait three days to enter the ocean after a storm.

(You can also check Heal the Bays online tool for the latest beach conditions).

I think oftentimes people think kids just get diarrhea or stomach aches for other reasons, Ms. Kalt said. But studies have shown that its often correlated with rainfall. If it rains one day and then the next day its sunny, people dont really give it much thought.

Heal the Bay, based in Santa Monica, also noted some bright spots with an honor roll of beaches that maintained exceptional water quality year-round.

Seven beaches in Laguna Beach, five in Carlsbad and four in both Encintas and Newport Beach made the cut.

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(Please note: We regularly highlight articles on news sites that have limited access for nonsubscribers.)

Gov. Jerry Browns Delta tunnels project got a crucial green light from two federal agencies. [Sacramento Bee]

The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a California law that places limits on carrying guns in public. [The New York Times]

Representative Brad Sherman, from Los Angeles, has drafted and circulated articles of impeachment for President Trump. [Los Angeles Times]

A study ranked cities by how hard it is to add new apartments. It didnt bode well for rents in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. [San Diego Union-Tribune]

In the past year, San Francisco spent $275 million to fight homelessness. Yet its as bad as ever. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Many Bay Area residents who made the leap to Sacramento have discovered a city coming into its own. [SFGate]

Californias minimum-wage fight could heat up after a study found that jobs and hours fell in Seattle. [Los Angeles Times]

The police have been cracking down on car-pool lane offenders. It doesnt seem to be making a difference. [The Mercury News]

Hes probably going to break Barry Bondss record. The Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger already has 24 home runs. [The New York Times]

The Warriors Draymond Green led the league in steals. Now hes been honored as Defensive Player of the Year. [East Bay Times]

Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minhaj: What I love about comedy is that were this group of weirdos. [The New York Times]

Instagrammable food, impeccable coffee: Todays campsite cooks have high ambitions. [The New York Times]

Video: A drone was used to capture a blue whale swimming in Monterey Bay. [YouTube | Slater Moore Photography]

Its one of Los Angeless little known treats.

During the summer, you can drop by the Hollywood Bowl and watch the Los Angeles Philharmonic rehearse and its free.

The schedule is worked out on a week-by-week basis, but the rehearsals have typically happened on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, lasting a couple of hours.

Writing recently in The New York Times, the music critic Zachary Woolfe called the Los Angeles Philharmonic the most important orchestra in America.

During rehearsals the music may not be polished, but thats also part of the allure.

Spectators get to see how a piece of music is shaped by the conductor and musicians before a formal performance.

The rehearsals run from July through September, though not all are open to the public.

To find out whats on tap, the Philharmonic said to call the information line starting after the July Fourth weekend at 323-850-2000.

Want to submit a photo for possible publication? You can do it here.

California Today goes live at 6 a.m. Pacific time weekdays. Tell us what you want to see: CAtoday@nytimes.com.

The California Today columnist, Mike McPhate, is a third-generation Californian born outside Sacramento and raised in San Juan Capistrano. He lives in Los Osos. Follow him on Twitter.

California Today is edited by Julie Bloom, who grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from U.C. Berkeley.

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California Today: Surf, Sun and Bacteria - New York Times

Cub Scouts Pack Nos. 4192 and 4686 helped clean Ediz Hook during the last Washington Coast Cleanup.

Theyre easy to point out. The couple who parks on the same bench at dawn. The children who know the safest spots to build sand castles at every tide. The runner who treads through sand and ocean breeze every evening at sunset.

Theyre the frequent beachgoers. Its their beach, after all.

Soon, these individuals will be able to adopt their beach and put it in writing.

A new Adopt a Beach program, spearheaded by Washington CoastSavers, encourages people to take ownership of a Clallam County park beach and clear it of marine debris at least three times a year. The individuals, families, groups or organizations who adopt a beach will have their names printed on a sign in the park.

Proposed beaches include Salt Creek at 3506 Camp Hayden Road, Port Angeles; Cline Spit at 199 Cline Spit Road, Sequim; Dungeness Landing at 298 Oyster House Road, Sequim; Port Williams at 2499 Port Williams Road, Sequim; and Panorama Vista at 282 Buck Loop Road, Sequim.

The goal is to attract folks who see this as their beach, Washington CoastSavers Coordinator Jon Schmidt said. I have no doubt the beaches will be adopted.

Eventually, Washington CoastSavers hopes to expand the program to every beach along Washingtons coast, but currently has funding for a pilot program in Clallam County, Schmidt said.

Adopt a Beach partners will need to sign an agreement with Washington CoastSavers, agreeing to clean their beaches at least three times a year. Ideally, two of those times would occur during Washington Coast Cleanup (WCC) April 29 and International Coast Cleanup (ICC) Sept. 16.

WCC typically engages more than 1,000 volunteers to clean beaches on the outer coast and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, usually on the Saturday closest to Earth Day. ICC, a relatively new effort for Clallam County, rallies volunteers worldwide.

Last year, volunteers collected 20 tons of trash during WCC.

The amount of garbage on our beaches is just despicable, Schmidt said. Every tide brings more garbage to shore.

Rope and plastics, both commonly found items, endanger wildlife on the beaches, he said. Rope often entangles animals, and plastics fill seabirds stomachs to the point where they cant consume real food. They starve that way, or they starve because the plastic has lodged in their throats, Schmidt said.

Before Earth Day ever existed, some Washington state residents took a vested interest in this problem.

Around 1970, the first Washington beach cleanup crew, Operation Shore Patrol, hit the coasts. The Pacific Northwest Four Wheel Drive Association started the operation as a way to give back to the beaches where they recreated.

So Washington state can boast one of the earliest formal beach cleanup efforts in the nation, Schmidt said.

Now, beach stewardship has emerged as a subject of global concern.

Schmidt has traveled to Japan twice in the past four years to give presentations about marine debris cleanups, in light of recent tsunamis.

Hes seen some tsunami-related debris make its way to U.S. shores.

We know our trash is making the rounds as well, Schmidt said.

And as much as that should anger us, it should also unite us in the same effort, he said.

Its really one ocean, he said. Were all connected by the same tides.

Individuals or groups interested in adopting a Clallam County park beach can contact Schmidt at jon@coastsavers.org.

________

Reporter Sarah Sharp can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at ssharp@peninsuladailynews.com.

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Adopt a Beach pilot program set on Peninsula - Peninsula Daily News

June 26, 2017 by Julie Cohen TheIsla Vista beach near UCSB in 1976. Credit: Dale Straughan

And to think it was all right there in her garage. A load of boxes pulled from biologist Dale Straughan's home yielded a veritable treasure trove for UC Santa Barbara researchers studying the impact of climate change on coastal biodiversity in California.

To Jenifer Dugan, a research biologist at UCSB's Marine Science Institute (MSI), Nicholas Schooler, a Ph.D. student in UCSB's Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Marine Science, and David Hubbard, an ecologist at MSI, Straughan's field notes and data on California beaches were scientific gold. Beginning in 2009, the UCSB team worked closely with Straughan to compare present-day results to her original data sets. They resurveyed a subset of the more than 60 California beaches from Morro Bay to San Diego that Straughan and her colleagues had surveyed on multiple dates from 1969 to 1980.

Because the Earth's climate has changed dramatically since then, the researchers sought to determine whether and how biodiversity had decreased and to explore the processes responsible. Their findings appear in the journal Ecology and Evolution.

"Coastal ecosystems can be valuable indicators of biodiversity responses to anthropogenic and climate change-related impacts," said co-author Dugan. "We used this unique data set from extensive intertidal surveys to evaluate multidecadal change in the biodiversity of the important and widespread coastal ecosystems of sandy beaches."

Co-author Straughan conducted the original surveys for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management following the 1969 oil spill in the Santa Barbara Channel. At the time, she was based at the University of Southern California's Allan Hancock Foundation. One of the sites she surveyed more than 33 times was located in Isla Vista, close to the UCSB campus.

Evaluating impacts to biodiversity requires ecologically informed comparisons over sufficient time spans. One challenge for the UCSB team was calibrating different sampling methods from different decades. They developed a novel extrapolation approach to address data gaps that are common in such long-term data sets by adjusting species richness for sampling style over various time periods. This approach could be useful in addressing similar questions for other understudied ecosystems.

The investigators evaluated changes in intertidal biodiversity over time, using Straughan's results and those from their own recent surveys of 13 of her sandy beach sites, including the one in Isla Vista. Their analyses revealed large increases or decreases in species richness at some beaches, while at others changes were very small or not detectable.

"Our multidecadal comparison of beaches suggests that local processes exerted a stronger influence on intertidal biodiversity than did regional factors," Dugan said. "Intense local scale manipulationin other words, management practicesmade larger trends or gradients in biodiversity difficult to detect."

Digging deeper, the scientists found that upper beach species were disproportionally affected relative to the rest of the intertidal beach animals. However, they also found a positive surprise for this highly vulnerable group. Two beaches exhibited increases in richness, likely due to the fact that off-road vehicle use had been outlawed for at least 15 years. At those two sites, upper beach species showed a promising level of recovery following many years of protection from beach-driving impacts.

Another unexpected result was consistently low species richness on heavily urbanized beaches that have been groomedmechanically raked to remove kelpfor decades. According to lead author Schooler, lasting impacts to the total community persisted over time at these sites, but the upper beach species continued to decline.

"Our beach site at Isla Vista is a good example of what the future holds as sea level rises against a resistant boundary of either natural bluffs or manmade coastal armoring and buildings like those along urbanized stretches of the coast," Schooler explained. "We are losing ecologically important intertidal animals, such as beach hoppers and insects, from the upper beach zone, and this is likely to happen to more and more Southern California beaches as sea level rises."

The bluff-backed Isla Vista beach site had the highest percentage loss of habitat of any beaches the UCSB team surveyed. Such beaches experience a phenomenon called coastal squeeze because they have no room to move inland. "We saw a narrowing of the beach and a change in sediment size that was associated with a decline in the whole community, particularly in the upper beach animals," Schooler said.

Beaches backed by dunes, such as that at Coal Oil Point Reserve less than a mile west of the UCSB campus, have room to move inland and are projected to be more resilient to sea level change. But, Dugan noted, on bluff-backed beaches and those with man-made seawalls or revetments, the first species to disappear are those that feed on kelp wrack and live in the damp and dry sand of the upper beach zone.

"About 45 percent of the biodiversity of Southern California's beaches belongs to specialized upper beach species," she said. "They play a very important role in the coastal ecosystem by providing food for wildlife, such as western snowy plovers and other shorebirds, breaking down the kelp wrack that washes ashore and promoting nutrient recycling that then is potentially available for near-shore surf grass and kelps.

"On a more optimistic note, our research suggests that opportunities for ecosystem recovery from human impacts exist if we change the way some of our beaches are managed," Dugan added.

Explore further: Tiny beach crustaceans suffering localized extinctions

More information: Nicholas K. Schooler et al. Local scale processes drive long-term change in biodiversity of sandy beach ecosystems, Ecology and Evolution (2017). DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3064

Two types of small beach crittersboth cousins of the beloved, backyard roly-polyare suffering localized extinctions in Southern California at an alarming rate, says a new study by UC Santa Barbara scientists. As indicator ...

The western snowy plover is nesting along the Los Angeles area coast for the first time in nearly seven decades, federal officials said.

More than half of Southern California's beaches could completely erode back to coastal infrastructure or sea cliffs by the year 2100 as the sea level rises, according to a study released Monday.

Microorganisms play a crucial role in forming beachrock, a type of rock that forms on the beach and protects low-lying reef islands from erosion, a new study involving University of Queensland research has revealed.

Last winter's El Nio might have felt weak to residents of Southern California, but it was in fact one of the most powerful climate events of the past 145 years.

UC San Diego biologists who examined the biological impact of replenishing eroded beaches with offshore sand found that such beach replenishment efforts could have long-term negative impacts on coastal ecosystems.

Ocean levels rose 50 percent faster in 2014 than in 1993, with meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet now supplying 25 percent of total sea level increase compared with just five percent 20 years earlier, researchers reported ...

The Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone (ETSZ), a zone of small earthquakes stretching from northeastern Alabama to southwestern Virginia, may have generated earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater within the last 25,000 years, ...

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 is one of the most studied spills in history, yet scientists haven't agreed on the role of microbes in eating up the oil. Now a research team at the Department ...

Monitoring changes to the amount of wetlands in regions where permafrost is thawing should be at the forefront of efforts to predict future rates of climate change, new research shows.

Biodiversity losses from deep-sea mining are unavoidable and possibly irrevocable, an international team of 15 marine scientists, resource economists and legal scholars argue in a letter published today in the journal Nature ...

A series of unprecedented storms over the Southern Ocean likely caused the most dramatic decline in Antarctic sea ice seen to date, a new study finds.

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Scientists study changes in the biodiversity of California's sandy beaches - Phys.Org

"I will not go back to Myrtle. ... It's just gotten crazy."

The day after this month's shootings in Myrtle Beach, a family showed up in Debbie Smith's office on Ocean Isle Beach looking for a room.

The family, Smith said, had stayed in an Ocean Boulevard hotel in Myrtle Beach next to where a teenager fired seven shots into a crowd early one Sunday morning. They cut their Myrtle Beach vacation days short and drove less than an hour north, across the North Carolina state line, to spend the next week in the small Brunswick County beach town.

Smith, a lifelong resident of the island -- before there was even a bridge to the mainland, she said -- manages rental properties and set the family up. She's also been the Ocean Isle Beach mayor for more than a decade.

The series of six Myrtle Beach shootings in three days left no one dead, but several people were wounded and the famous coastline is now publicly struggling with an image crisis. The city council held a special meeting, the governor of South Carolina held a meeting to talk policing strategies and the community called for action -- from more boots on the ground to barricades along the sidewalk to earlier curfews for those under age.

Beach trips are often well-worn affairs, the same family in the same hotel or rental on the same scrap of land by the sea. For generations, beach umbrellas are stuck into the same sands like rainbow-colored family crests. While we may live hundreds of miles away and log hours on interstates and two-lane rural shortcuts to get there, families often have their beach, a sense of ownership earned through tradition and memories.

In the days after the Myrtle Beach shootings, some vowed on social media that they were breaking their ties there, or already had before the latest violence. The beach is one of the most prominent and highly developed along the Atlantic coast and is fueled by a tourism industry in the billions of dollars.

"We recognize that if we don't address this, there's serious risk of reputational damage to the tourism industry and the community," said Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. "It's still possible to salvage a good summer in terms of tourism. Hopefully we can use this as a turning point. Right now there's more uncertainty, and there have been more than a few cancellations."

It was a bad weekend for Myrtle, even for incidents that didn't occur there. Last Saturday, an SUV of Virginia teenagers was stopped in Bladen County with marijuana and cocaine, 18 liters of liquor, several cases of beer and thousands in cash. Their stated destination: Myrtle Beach.

The suspect in the most prominent Myrtle shooting, the one broadcast on Facebook from a hotel balcony, is a 17-year-old from Charlotte. Dean says Myrtle Beach is responsible for addressing crime that occurs in its city, but notes that most of that crime is committed by people from other places.

"The citizens of Myrtle Beach do a wonderful job caring for our kids," Dean said. "It's other communities whose children are coming here to cause problems. ... A few have decided not to respect our community and follow our laws. To them we say stay home or find somewhere else to go."

Kristty Smith, a hair stylist in Clayton, was on a vacation with her family in Myrtle Beach on the weekend of the shootings. She said it was a fun trip, a week spent on the beach and going para-sailing and to the Broadway at the Beach restaurant and entertainment area. She said Myrtle was where she went to the beach while growing up, but that the area's congestion is now pushing her toward North Carolina's more quaint beaches.

"I will not go back to Myrtle," Smith said. "There are just too many people there. It's just gotten crazy. It's so congested. That's the only reason I won't be back."

Diego Cancel of Raleigh spent a weekend in Myrtle Beach for the first time two weeks ago. While he enjoyed it, he doesn't foresee a return visit.

"Myrtle was fun, but it was definitely not for everyone," Cancel said via Facebook Messenger. "It is very trashy in the sense of people not being respectful of others regardless of race or age. It's an experience that I wouldn't want to repeat."

Back on Ocean Isle, Smith said she sometimes makes the drive across the state border for shopping or occasional dining in South Carolina. But she usually tries to stay out of Myrtle.

"You don't want to hear what I think of Myrtle Beach," Smith said.

The beaches of southern North Carolina are the strips to Myrtle's strand, often rural and often preferring it that way. Some use the phrase "family friendly" to distinguish the atmosphere north of the state line.

"There's a different dynamic between Myrtle and Sunset," said Sunset Beach Mayor Robert Forrester. "We're very much family oriented, families who have been coming for a number of years."

Sunset Beach's most significant controversy in recent years came last winter, when the town considered banning cabanas on the beach.

"I got 350 emails about banning cabanas," Forrester said. "The overwhelming majority all referred to the fact that they've been coming to the beach for 30 years. That their grandmother came 80 years ago."

Forrester doesn't speak ill of Myrtle Beach, saying he visits somewhat regularly for shopping and dining. He said plenty of Sunset visitors steal away for a day in Myrtle Beach while on vacation..

"The negative activities that happened over the weekend, the vast majority of the people that come here would not be associated with," Forrester said, saying he hears mostly of day trips to the alligator adventure shows or Broadway at the Beach. "You wouldn't find the same kind of population that stays there as stays here."

Smith acknowledged that Brunswick County has likely received a boost from the enormous growth of Myrtle Beach.

"I think Myrtle was primed for growth and in the right place, and Brunswick benefited from that," Smith said. "But thank goodness we've kept ourselves a little quieter."

That relationship may be most important for Calabash, which collects loads of day trippers from Myrtle Beach seeking out seafood restaurants or a day on the water. Bob Taylor runs Calabash Fishing Fleet and said 75 percent of his approximately 550 charter voyages a year are from groups from Myrtle Beach.

Taylor said he doesn't expect the shootings to drive the crowds away from Myrtle.

"Calabash is the closest port to Myrtle Beach, so if you're looking to go fishing or just out on a boat, you have to drive north and come to the inlet," Taylor said. "(The shooting) was an isolated incident; I don't foresee any real impact. In the short term, maybe, people might check out a little early. But that could happen just about anywhere. We've had a high influx of people this year. Out of all those people, you'll have a handful of bad seeds here and there."

John Hobgood runs the only grocery store on Sunset Beach, the Island Market. He said he doesn't expect the incidents in Myrtle to have much impact on Sunset or beaches like it.

"It was tragic," Hobgood said. "Nothing really good happens after midnight. But it's not really going to impact the people who come here."

Drew Jackson; 919-829-4577; @jdrewjackson

___

(c)2017 The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)

Visit The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) at http://www.newsobserver.com

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As Myrtle Beach reels from violence, NC beaches tout 'family friendly' alternative - StarNewsOnline.com

Closure signs, like the one seen here in May, again dot San Clemente beaches after an 8-foot shark was spotted Monday morning.(Photo courtesy of Jeff Antenore)

An 8-foot shark sighted by multiple people prompted city beaches in San Clemente to close Monday afternoon.

The sighting was first reported at 10:45 a.m. after multiple witnesses saw the shark outside the pier, according to a city announcement. The shark was then confirmed by a lifeguard working the pier tower.

Lifeguards hovered a drone in the area about 11:30 a.m. and saw the shark just outside of the surf near T-street, just south of the pier.

The closure spans from North Beach to Lost Winds for four hours, with plans to lift the closure at 3:30 p.m.

We have cleared the water, posted signs, updated surf tape and web page and are flying the red flag, according to the announcement.

Originally posted here:

San Clemente beaches closed after 8-foot shark sighting near pier - OCRegister

By Samantha Hourihan, Special to North Jersey Media Group 8:00 a.m. ET June 26, 2017

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Bathers at Upper Saddle Rivers Anona Park, circa 1930(Photo: courtesy of Kay Yeomans)

From (201) Magazine archives: This story was originally published in the July 2006 issue.

Dig your toes into the warm sand. Wade into the cool water. Swim out to the diving platform and take a plunge from the high diving board. Sidle up to a picnic bench and snack on a boxed lunch. Stick around til after dark on a Friday evening and enjoy a family movie while little ones prance in front of large outdoor screens. And, if youre lucky, listen to live music and dance on a wooden-plank floor placed beneath a string of lights that swings in the summer breeze. Thats how residents and tourists who frequented Bergens sand-bottom pools escaped the seasonal heat for a good part of the 20th century.

Wealthy Bergen industrialists bought the properties usually including a dam, pond or stream and converted them into bathing beaches. These developers recognized Bergens potential as an important recreational destination. Sand reminded people of the shore without the travel and the inconvenience.

Some of the pools are gone, butseveral community-based sand-bottom pools still dot Bergens landscape.

Kay Yeomans, historian for Upper Saddle River, has fond memories of Anona Park, the pool built by her husbands grandfather in 1929.

People came up from all the big cities and rented picnic tables in the grove, she says. Theyd put the old wooden ice boxes by the tables, and that was their place for the summer. Anona was sold to a developer in 1968, and now is part of a homeowners association that has added tennis courts.

Allendales Brookside Racquet & Swim Club has a relatively new sand pool, constructed in the late 1960s. Chuck Elmes bought the property, excavated the site and trucked in sand from the Jersey shore to line the pond.

People enjoyed the gradual slope of the beach, explains Elmes. They didnt have to jump in, in order to get themselves wet. They could wade in the sand and play in the shallow water.

People were nostalgic about goingto the shore without the drive, Elmes continues. You could come to see friends from the area and have a good time outdoors and feel safe.

For many who still spread out their beach towels on the sandy shores of their local pools, that good-time outdoors feeling still remains.

I love going to Graydon in thesummertime, says 9-year-old Rachel Pizzuti, Ridgewood. I see all my friends there. I get to swim and play in the sand five minutes from my house.

Upper Saddle Rivers Anona Park, circa 1930(Photo: courtesy of Kay Yeomans)

Built just before the Stock Market crashed in 1929, Anona Park is one of the longest surviving sand-bottom pools in Bergen.

Brookside was designed to give visitors the feeling of a complete social outing. Picnic groves complemented the beach where swimmers could play in the sandor frolic in the shallow water.

Vintage Bergen: Long-gone drive-in theaters

Aerial Photo - Brookside Raquet Club 480 Brookside Ave Allendale(Photo: Michael Bocchieri, North Jersey Media Group)

Crestwood Lake on Crestwood Avenue, Allendale has been in recreational existence since 1928. The Crestwood Cruisers Swim Team, for children ages 7 to 17, invites all eager swimmers who can swim at least 25 yards to swim in the summer community league and compete against other sand pool teams in the county.

Crestwood Lake, Allendale, in 1970(Photo: Stuart Davis)

Darlington County Park, part of the Bergen County Department of Parks, offers two sand-bottom pools, basketball courts, tennis courts, and handball courts.With a permit, larger groups may hold picnics on the grounds from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Darlington County Park, Mahwah, in 1965(Photo: the record archives)

Graydon has experienced a number of renovations since this photo was taken, but the parking lots of this village pool still overflow on a hot summer afternoon.

Graydon Pool, Ridgewood in 1957.(Photo: The Ridgewood News archives)

More on Graydon: 'There's just something homey about Graydon'

Memorial Pool and Walsh Pool provide Fair Lawn residents with hours of fun with rafts, slides and even a sand castle sculpture contest held in August.

Memorial Pool, Fair Lawn, in 1949(Photo: The Ridgewood News archive)

The Old Mill Bathing Beach, the ruins of which can still be found at 189 Paramus Road, has a familiar and often-photographed entrance. (Episode 22 ofThe Sopranos, From Where to Eternity, was shot on location at the Old Mill.)The Paramus Bathing Beach (not shown) was a 1932 structure that survived until it was boarded up in 1962. A housing development was constructed on the site in the 1980s.

The Old Mill Bathing Beach, Paramus, in 1962(Photo: Gordon Corbett jr., The Record)

Lake Idle Wild Bathing Beach delighted bathers with an extra feature a childrens zoo.

Lake Idle Wild Bathing Beach, Old Tappan, in 1984(Photo: Steven Auchard)

The grand-daddy of Bergen sand-bottom pools was Woodcliff Lakes Old Mill Pond Bathing Beach. The pool dated to the early 20th century and was among the very first of the countys pools.

Old Mill Pond Bathing Beach, Woodcliff Lake, in 1971(Photo: Emmett Francois/The Record)

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Archive: Bathing Beauties: 'Beaches' of Bergen mark the sands of time - NorthJersey.com

Want to go somewhere insanely gorgeous, where you can lay in the sun and not feel overwhelmed by throngs of tourists? These are the beaches for you.

The beach is where you can brazenly exhibit the most Vitamin-D-deficient parts of your body, drink something strong and slushy at any hour of the day, or squat down to look at tiny sea creatures in warm tide pools and tilt your head up to look at towering cliffs behind. The beach is, undeniably, where you get to live your best life.

That is, except when the pristine sand is littered with abandoned trash bags or the natural beauty factor is low or youre surrounded by swarms of underage college freshman who think Icing is a fun drinking game. While coasts have come to be synonymous with paradise, the beach can also be a place where you immediately come to hate every surrounding strangerpast, present, and future.

These 12 beaches, from a hippie nudist haven in the south of Mexico to a secluded cove in Greece, are the former: places that may not make every Top Beach list or draw the largest hordes of tourists in the region, but could, if thats what these beaches were all about. You should add at least one of them to your summer bucket list, stat. (Just remember to pack some sunscreen.)

Praia da Dona Ana in Lagos, Portugal The southernmost region of continental Portugal, Algarve has no shortage of picturesque beachesand Dona Ana is the most. Clear blue water washes up on golden sand, which is surrounded by steep, ochre-colored strata cliffs. Plus, its not a long walk from Central Lagos, where youll want to head after the beach to grab a frothy beer and a bifana, a sauteed pork sandwich on a crusty roll that is the Portuguese equivalent of a hamburger.

Zipolite Beach in Oaxaca, Mexico This beach has a bit of a reputation as a hangout spot for nudists and yogis and aging hippies; its that, but also more. Located in the south of Mexicos southern state, Oaxaca, Zipolite is where the iconic beach scenes in Y Tu Mama Tambien were filmed and is perfect for lounging on while feasting on just-caught fish and sucking down coconut water out of the hacked-open fruit. While you can swim here, exercise cautionthe beach has gained the nickname Beach of the Dead because of its dangerously strong undercurrents.

Navagio Beach in Greece Known as both Shipwreck Beach and Smugglers Cove, small Navagio Beach is home to the remains of the Panagiotis, a shipping vessel that crashed on the coast of Zakynthos in 1983. Surrounded by rocky coves, the the secluded beach is only accessible by, ironically, boat. (From Porto Vromi, taxi boats leave every hour, and the ride takes approximately half an hour.)

Bathsheba Beach in Barbados On Barbadoss rugged East Coast lies Bathsheba, a village thats home to a community of fishermen and their families. Head to the coast for the beach, which features dramatic, ancient rock formations that were once part of coral reefs and white sand. This area is also called the Soup Bowl and attracts international surfers for competitions. Non-surfers, dont miss the rum shacks.

New Chums Beach in New Zealand Hidden in Wainuiototo Bay on the northeast coast of New Zealands Coromandel Peninsula, New Chums Beach is a nearly-kilometer-long stretch of golden-white sand, native forest, and no buildings or infrastructure. As one of New Zealands last undeveloped beaches, this spot is perfect for those looking to escape any trace of mankind.

Mancora Beach in Peru Perus neighbor to the east may be known for its beaches and tiny bathing suits, but the Land of the Incas has Mancora, a small fishing village with a long strip of sunny beaches on the northern Pacific coast. While Mancora is the most popular beach on Perus North Shore, this area is no Rio de Janeiro. After a long day of sunning, stop in the center of the village for a plate of ceviche and a strong maracuya (passionfruit) daiquiri.

Railay Beach in Thailand Like other beaches on this list, Railay is only accessible by boat due to the steep limestone cliffs that prohibit access from the mainland; like the other beaches, the short trip is worth it. This small peninsula on in the south of Thailand is actually composed of four beaches, none of which are the wrong choice. Because its frequently ranked as one of the worlds most beautiful beaches, the beach can sometimes get crowded. But, because of its beauty, you probably wont really care.

El Matador Beach in Malibu, California North of Zuma Beach and South of La Piedra Beach lies El Matador, just six miles north of Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway. With massive rocks and sea caves, the romantic beach is only accessible by winding down a steep gravel path and is not staffed by lifeguards, so its not the best place to bring kids (pro or con, you decide!). Youll probably see some extremely-in-love couples tenderly holding each other while a photographer captures the candid moment here.

Poipu Beach in Kauai While Oahu and Maui draw the most tourists of all the Hawaiian islands, Kauai, nicknamed the Garden Isle, has some of the states most picturesque beaches. Poipu Beach, on the islands sunnier south shore, is one of the most popular and safest for swimming, snorkeling, and even surfing. Made up of two small bays, the beaches are separated by a jutting sandbar thats often home to the islands endangered monk seal. They are cute as hell, but leave them alone.

Sand Beach in Maine This beautiful, tiny beach is located in Maines Acadia National Park, which spreads over Mount Desert Island, Isle au Haut, and the Schoodic Peninsula. The water never gets especially warm (it rarely exceeds 55 degrees even in the summer), but youre here to admire the surrounding granite mountains and the eponymous sand. With sand and pink-hued minerals, the beach is primarily composed of tiny shell fragments that the tide has broken down over thousands of years.

Shi Shi Beach in Washington This beach can get busy with campers on warm summer weekends, and understandably: Its one of the Olympic Coasts most comically beautiful spots, with its tide pools and sea stacks and coastal forest. Hike through the forest, walk along the the tide, or pitch a tent for an overnight stay here. If you happen to choose an especially busy weekend to camp here, intimidate others and prove that youre worthy of your spot by saying the name the name correctly, which is pronounced shy shy.

Dry Tortugas in Florida We knowFlorida beaches, how unoriginal. Dry Tortugas Beach, however, is not a Ft. Lauderdale or a Siesta Key or even a Miami. Located at the end of the Florida Keys in the Gulf of Mexico, this powdery-sand beach in Dry Tortugas National Park is only accessible by ferry or seaplane, and is therefore much less crowded than the states other coasts. Bring snorkel gear and swim among the sea turtles in the peaceful, aquamarine water.

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These Are the Best Beaches in The World - GQ Magazine

Image sent to CBS12 by viewer, Kayla.

A perfect day at the beach turns tragic as lifeguards jumped into rescue swimmers caught in rough currents, Sunday afternoon.

A CBS12 viewer sent us cell phone video after one person was pulled from the surf along Ocean Reef Park.

Beachgoers nervously looked on as first responders performed CPR on the distressed swimmer.

Three other swimmers were pulled from the water less than a mile away at City Beach Municipal Park.

Family members shared a photo of a teenage boy from Pahokee to CBS12, one of the four rescued.

Were learned late Sunday night the 14-year-old passed away.

Dwayne Watson with Riviera Beach Fire Rescue said strong rip currents may be to blame.

When youre dealing with open water incidents, you have the potential to have catastrophic consequences and use a safety conscious whenever youre out in the water, if you cant swim use common sense to stay near a life guard, said Watson.

Watson wants to remind beachgoers to pay attention to the warning flags posted along the beach.

It serves as a cautionary sign; it could save your life.

Always check to see if there are rip currents before you go out swimming. And just try to stay close to the shore as possible if you cant swim, said Watson.

The other near drowning victims on Singer Island were taken to area hospitals.

Investigators have not yet released their conditions or identities.

In addition to the four rescued in Riviera Beach, there were seven rescues in Palm Beach County. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue says two patients were rescued in Lake Worth Beach, four in Jupiter Beach, and one person at Burt Reynolds Park. The total ocean rescue efforts for Palm Beach County is 11 for Sunday.

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4 swimmers rescued on Singer Island, family says teen passed away - WPEC

by Caroline Torie, WSBT 22 Reporter

Officials say Indiana Dunes are safe after toxic spill // WSBT 22 PHOTO

The EPA says the lake water is safe, even after a company admitted they leaked a toxic chemical into a Lake Michigan tributary this spring.

U.S. Steel accidentally released hexavalent chromium into the Burns Waterway in Portage this April.

The EPA along with the National Park Service needed to determine if that chemical leak would affect visitors and wildlife at the dunes.

Hexavalent chromium is a toxic byproduct of industrial processes. If ingested, it might be carcinogenic.

Scientists have tested hundreds of water and soil samples every week since that spill happened -- and they say there have been no environmental impacts from the release. They've found no significant trace of the industrial chemical within five miles of the leak.

To ensure public safety, the EPA and the park service will continue to test the area through the summer.

Those tests are just one of the things the National Park Service at the Indiana Dunes is doing to ensure their beaches, trails and waterways are safe and ready for millions of visitors this summer.

They have also cleared parking lots covered with tons of sand, rebuilt sand paths and boardwalks down to the beaches, and put buoys out in the water.

A lot of Indiana Dunes visitors say they come to the beach often.

"We only live about 10 minutes away from the beach which is pretty great," says Bradley Hatfield, a Portage Beach visitor.

But the April chemical spill in the Burns Waterway put his summer plans -- and millions of others -- in jeopardy.

"We had a bit of a scare in early April," says Bruce Rowe, Spokesman for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Beaches were closed for a weekend to determine if the release of the the toxic hexavalent chromium would affect visitors or the environment.

"Fortunately we found absolutely no traces of it on any of our nearby beaches," says Rowe.

Every week since then, and now for the rest of the summer, the EPA and the National Park Service will test the water and soil for that chemical. They also test all beaches for E. coli.

"And if we find that, we close the lifeguarded beaches," Rowe says.

The Park Service is also focused on Mt. Baldy. The sand dune has been closed since 2013 after a young boy was swallowed by the sand but miraculously survived.

"We do offer some ranger led hikes on one little trail up there that is safe," says Rowe. "And we are working towards opening up the beach in front of it that's probably going to be later this summer or even into the fall before we can add that."

More than 15 miles of beach line the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. It's a lot of work for those who maintain it, but plenty for visitors to enjoy.

"If you could come out there during the week, you may find a lot of miles of beach that you can enjoy yourself," says Rowe. "If you come out on those weekends get here early so you can get a parking spot and enjoy your visit."

US Steel is working with the EPA to make sure there are no long-term effects from that spill.

The Indiana Dunes offers over 200 programs throughout the summer, including guided hikes up Mt. Baldy, campfires on the beach, and kayaking and paddle boarding. And for the first time in decades, more lifeguards will allow swimming seven days per week on both the eastern and western portions of the beach. For more information, visit their website.

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EPA says Indiana Dunes beaches safe after toxic spill | WSBT - WSBT-TV

As plastic erodes, it releases chemicals into the environment, and because mass use of plastics is relatively new, scientists dont quite know the implications of all these chemicals on the human body or the ecosystem.

PANAMA CITY The worlds most beautiful beaches are experiencing an apocalypse an apocalypse of plastic.

Kurt Cox, a geologist, writer and Panama City native, has spent the last three years combing the shores of the Panhandle all 70 miles from Destin to Port St. Joe collecting all the plastic debris he can find. Hes done the loop three times, including the shores along the Bay and marshes, and has collected a total of almost 6,000 pounds of trash.

Ive spent a lot of time by myself out there, and sometimes I get a little disgusted with humanity when Im out doing a beach cleanup, he said.

Cox didnt set out to become a one-man cleanup operation, he said during a recent Citizen Scientist talk at Gulf Coast State College. Hes always liked walking the beaches, and one day, when out on Redfish Point, he came across an unsightly pile of plastic.

I thought, 'Ill pick up this trash today so I dont need need to look at it next week,' Cox recalled.

Sure enough, when he returned, that section of beach was still clean. Unfortunately, once he walked a little farther down, he found more trash. He cleaned up that spot, too. And then the next spot, and the next, until hed covered the whole stretch of beach on his own.

I got into my mind that I was going to clean up every bit of beach on our local beaches, he said.

But being a scientist, Cox doesnt just pick up the plastic and throw it away; he documents it. Every piece he has collected going back to 2012 is detailed in a spreadsheet, outlining what it was, where he found it and a photo. Its so detailed that other scientists have contacted him, asking to see his research.

I can pretty much go back and re-create how many pounds of plastic marine debris came from how many yards of beach, he said.

But theres plenty of other trash on the beach glass bottles, aluminum cans, etc. Why focus on only plastic?

A few reasons, Cox answered. First, glass and aluminum are natural materials. Glass erodes down to sand, and aluminum is an element and wont necessarily harm the environment the way plastic does.

Plastic is different, he said. Plastic is a man-made thing. Its oil and natural gas, so its not really natural for it to be out in our oceans.

As plastic erodes, it releases chemicals into the environment, and because mass use of plastics is relatively new, scientists dont quite know the implications of all these chemicals on the human body or the ecosystem. Plastic, inevitably, is entering the food chain, either through curious fish nibbling away at cups or balloons floating in the ocean, or through larger plastics eroding down into microplastic, which is then invariably eaten by plankton-consuming fish.

If its getting into the food chain, its getting into us, he said.

Everyone who goes out on the beaches or out on the water contributes to the amount of plastic that washes up on shore, but not all of it is local. Cox regularly finds items from Venezuela, the Caribbean andHaiti, among others. His farthest traveler is a table salt container from Morocco. That being said, there are some groups who contribute more than others, like recreational and commercial fishermen losing lures, nets, lobster tags, knives, fish scrapers and snuff packaging. He finds lots of dust masks and earplugs near the paper mill. Children, with their plastic toys and forgetful nature, are another big culprit.

Cox has gotten so good at identifying plastic debris, he can tell how long its been floating, based on sun exposure, barnacles and the distinct diamond-shaped bite marks from sea turtles. Different items also tend to accumulate in different places, like cigarette butts at Deep Water Point and rubber bands near Pier Park.

If I look at a pile of trash, I can most likely tell what beach it was picked up at, he said.

To share his finds and raise awareness of the sheer amount of plastic hes finding, Cox runs the Beach Plastic Apocalypse Facebook page. As for what people can do to reduce the amount of plastic getting into the oceans, he has a few simple tips use less plastic, especially single-use plastic; keep control of the plastics you do use; and next time youre at the beach, pick up any plastic you see around you.

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Panama City native on quest to rid beaches of plastic - The News Herald

The window for recreational harvesting of shellfish was short on several beaches in Clallam and Jefferson counties.

A week ago, the state Department of Health announced that the area from the Lyre River east to Dungeness Bay was open to recreational shellfish harvesting, an area that had been closed to harvesting since April 28 because of high levels of the marine biotoxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) found in samples of shellfish.

The only closures then in effect on the North Olympic Peninsula were for butter clams and varnish clams in Discovery Bay, Sequim Bay and Kilisut Harbor including Mystery Bay, as well as the seasonal closures of Pacific coast beaches to all species.

That changed with recent tests that found high levels of PSP in samples of shellfish, Audrey Coyne, marine biotoxin coordinator for the state Department of Health, said Friday.

The areas between the Lyre River to the Jefferson County line, Discovery Bay and McCurdy Point west to the Clallam County line are now closed to recreational shellfish harvesting, the state said Friday.

The latest test from samples taken Wednesday showed 94 micrograms of PSP per 100 grams of shellfish tissue, Coyne said.

The action level for closure is 80 micrograms per 100 grams of tissue.

The June 13 test had shown levels to be well below that limit.

The levels did drop, Coyne said.

Rain and sunny weather can change the situation quickly, she said.

The state will continue routine testing.

Sequim Bay and Kilisut Harbor including Mystery Bay are open to all but the harvest of butter clams and varnish clams, which can hold toxins for a year.

Ocean beaches are in a seasonal closure now.

Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) can appear within minutes or hours and usually begin with tingling lips and tongue, moving to the hands and feet, followed by difficulty breathing and potentially death.

Toxins cannot be detected by sight or smell. Neither cooking nor freezing destroys biotoxins.

All species means clams, oysters, mussels and other invertebrates including the moon snail. The closures do not apply to shrimp.

Crab meat has not been known to contain biotoxins, but the guts can contain unsafe levels. To be safe, clean crab thoroughly and discard the guts (butter).

Recreational shellfish harvesters can get the latest information before they leave for the beach by visiting http://www.doh.wa.gov or phoning 800-562-5632.

The emergency regulation hotline is 866-880-5431.

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Biotoxin rise leads to closure of beaches to shellfish harvest ... - Peninsula Daily News

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) With summer now in full swing, people from all over are visiting area beaches for some fun in the sun. However,mother nature can be deadly and so far this month four people have died in rip currents.

It is a dangerous reality that has many people heading to Brunswick County beaches concerned, especially with no lifeguards on site.

I had no idea that there wasnt any lifeguards on this beach, visitor, Savannah Hughes said.

There are no lifeguards on any beaches in Brunswick or Pender counties, including Holden Beach where many visitors and residents are worried for their childrens safety.

I have pros and cons on it really. Sometimes I think we need them and sometimes maybe not. But most of the time I really think that there should be some kind of security, resident, James McGrane said.

With deadly rip currents north of us, killing two people in Atlantic Beach and two in Emerald Isle, Hughes says there needs to be a lifeguard present.

The town should definitely have lifeguards on every beach, Hughes said. Because I dont know what to do, I dont have a clue. It makes me very nervous.

Holden Beach Town Manager David Hewett says the topic of lifeguards have been discussed before, but there is just not enough of a demand.

Circumstances at Holden Beach are very safe. And, you know, were known as a family beach and the service for lifeguards isnt needed, Hewett said.

Hewett adds rip currents are not as common in the area compared to Wrightsville Beach.

Although there are some that happen from time to time, and as always those are you know, present their own set of challenges and dangers. But for the most part the beaches in South Brunswick anyway are very safe, Hewett said.

However, McGrane can testify otherwise. Five years ago McGrane saved his grandchildren before being pulled out to sea by a rip current at Holden Beach.

We were out wading and it just happened, McGrane said. It wasnt rough that day. You know, seemingly rough or we wouldnt have been out there with the grandchildren.

It was a situation that could have taken a turn for the worse, especially with no one out there to help.

In the position I was in I would have definitely needed a lifeguard at that time. Cause it could have came out a different away, we dont know. We were just, like I said fortunate, McGrane said.

McGrane says the town should have lifeguards on duty at all times, but at the very least for holidays when the beaches are packed.

Experts say if you are caught in a rip current always try to remain calm, swim parallel to the shore and let the wave push you in. If you see someone who needs help call 911 first, but if you are on an unguarded beach and have to help, be sure to bring a flotation device with you.

Another suggestion, always check the water conditions for the beach plan on visiting. To find out that information, click here.

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Area beaches without lifeguards raising concerns after 4 drownings in NC - WWAY NewsChannel 3

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As Myrtle Beach reels from violence, NC beaches tout their 'family friendly' alternative News & Observer The day after last week's shootings in Myrtle Beach, a family showed up in Debbie Smith's office on Ocean Isle Beach looking for a room. The family, Smith said, had stayed in an Ocean Boulevard hotel in Myrtle Beach next to where a teenager fired seven ... and more »

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As Myrtle Beach reels from violence, NC beaches tout their 'family friendly' alternative - News & Observer

Nassau County health officials have closed a Glenwood Landing beach and are advising the public against swimming Saturday at 18 other beaches across the county.

County officials said the Saturday advisory was issued as a precautionary measure for beaches that have been previously identified as being impacted by storm water runoff.

Tappan Beach in Glenwood Landing was closed effective Saturday as a result of elevated bacteria levels until further notice, Nassau Health Department spokeswoman Mary Ellen Laurain said.

Thirteen North Shore beaches fall under the advisory, including: Centre Island Sound, Ransom, Stehli and Soundside beaches in Bayville; Creek Club and Lattingtown Beach in Lattingtown; Laurel Hollow Beach in Laurel Hollow; Morgan Sound and Pryibil Beach in Glen Cove; North Hempstead Beach Park in Port Washington; Piping Rock Beach Club in Locust Valley; Theodore Roosevelt Beach in Oyster Bay; and Sea Cliff Village Beach in Sea Cliff.

Five South Shore beaches are also under the advisory: Biltmore Beach Club and Philip Healey Beach in Massapequa; Hewlett Point Beach in East Rockaway; Island Park Beach in Island Park; and Merrick Estates Civic Association in Merrick.

The advisory is expected to be lifted at 9 a.m. Sunday, Laurain said.

For updated, recorded information on beach openings and closings, call the health department at 516-227-9700.

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Nassau warns against swimming at 18 beaches due to bacteria levels - Newsday

You can feel good about taking a dip here in the bu.

Heal the Bay, a nonprofit organization based in Santa Monica, released its 27th annual Beach Report Card on June 9 for 2016-17, and results came back with Malibu in pretty good shape. The group tests 416 beaches on the California coast, including 21 beaches in Malibu. Bacteria levels that could be harmful to human health are measured on a weekly basis, and a letter grade of A to F is assigned to each beach. The better the grade, the lower the chance of getting sick from going in the water.

Every year, Heal the Bay designates the Top Ten Beach Bummers, which are the 10 beaches with the worst dry weather water quality in the state. The Malibu area, embarrassingly, has made the list a number of times in the past. In 2009, Surfrider Beach made the list. In 2011, it was Topanga State Beach. The year 2012 gave the city the distinction of having half the beaches on the list: Marie Canyon, Surfrider Beach, Solstice Canyon, Escondido State Beach and Topanga State Beach. In 2013, Malibu Pier was on the list. However, over the past four years, the city has apparently cleaned up its act.

In the most recent 2016-17 report, two beaches in Malibu have actually made Heal the Bays Honor Roll, by getting A+ grades during all seasons and weather conditions year-round El Matador State Beach and Malibu Point (Surfrider Beach near The Colony fence).

Craig George, director of the citys Environmental Sustainability Department, said in a phone interview that several factors came together to improve water quality off Malibus coast. He said the citys water/wastewater system is being properly managed, and that stormwater management improved with Legacy Park, which diverts storm water runoff to a pond and then a treatment facility. Were capturing a lot more of the trash and debris, he said.

George said the Malibu Lagoon restoration, which was completed in 2013, also played a role in making water safer at Surfrider. In addition, he cited a number of new state regulations that the city and the Tapia Water Reclamation Facility have had to comply with, as well as more stringent permitting requirements as helping to improve water quality.

As for the state-wide picture, Heal the Bay noted that since the six-year drought finally broke with heavy rains, poor beach water quality was often the result because of increased amounts of urban runoff.

Bacterial pollution at some of Californias most popular beaches spiked dramatically in 2016-17, the report noted, with nearly half of the 85 beaches monitored in LA County earning F grades during wet weather. Thats in marked contrast to the summer reporting period April to October 2016, when no beaches earned Fs.

Those failing grades indicate a significant health risk to the tens of thousands of year-round ocean users in Southern California, who can contract a respiratory or gastrointestinal illness from one morning swim or surf session in polluted waters, the report noted.

The infamous Beach Bummers List was split between Northern and Southern California this year. San Clemente Pier and La Jolla Cove both made their first-ever appearance on the list. The closest bummer to Malibu was Santa Monica Pier for the fourth year in a row.

We want people catching waves, not bugs, when they head to the beach, said Sarah Sikich, Heal the Bays vice president, in a statement provided by Heal the Bay. The reassuring news is that if you swim at an open-ocean beach in the summer [at least 100 yards away] from storm drains and creek mouths, you statistically have very little risk of getting ill.

The 20-plus beaches monitored in Malibu include the following: Big Rock, Broad, Carbon, Encinal Canyon, Escondido Creek, Las Flores, Latigo Canyon Creek, Leo Carrillo, Little Dume, Malibu Pier, Marie Canyon, Nicholas, Paradise Cove Pier, Malibu Road, Puerco, Solstice Canyon Creek, Surfrider, Topanga, Tuna Canyon and Zuma. Grades on individual beaches are online at

beachreportcard.org.

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No 'Beach Bummers' in Malibu for Fourth Straight Year - Malibu Times

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NORFOLK, Va. - Four shark sightings closed down Norfolk beaches Thursday. The Division Head of Aquatics andBeaches said swimming areas were cleared at each beach after sharks came through and stuck around for a little while.

The sharks were spotted at Community Beach, Ocean View Beach and Sarah Constant Beach Park, reported sister station WTKR.

The spotting caused Community Beach to close for about 30 minutes.

Dan Jones, Division Head of Aquatics and Beaches

"I have a family out here and I don't want anything to happen to them. I've seen stories about people getting attacked, so I don't want anything to happen to them," said Angel Lowe, who was at the beach with her kids.

A city official said the shark was reported around 11:30 a.m. and it appeared to be less than six feet long.

Dan Jones, Division Head of Aquatics and Beaches, said four shark sightings in one day is highly unusual, adding they typically wouldn't be this many in one summer. However, he had ideas on why they were coming close.

"There are stingrays, there are flounder, other fish out there that might be a food source for the sharks," said Jones.

A school of dolphins was also in the water at Ocean View Beach along with the sharks.

Saturday, the founder of Ocearch, a nonprofit organization responsible for tagging and tracking sharks including Mary Lee and Katharine, will be at the Aquarium talking about shark science. The event will be at 6:30 p.m. and will be free, but seating is limited to the first 250 guests.

In May three sharks pinged off the coast of Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks.

Two of the sharks were great whites named Mary Lee and Katherine and atiger shark named Weimarpinged nearby around the same time as Katherine.

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Shark sightings close some Norfolk beaches - wtvr.com

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The long wooden boardwalk is Ocean City's iconic gathering place, lined with vintage arcades for games and rides, souvenir shops, and all the deliciously fried food you can eat.(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Marylanders don't go to the beach. Instead, they head "down-y ocean," more precisely, to Ocean City, with its 10 miles of free sandy beaches and historic 3-mile-long Boardwalk. Founded on July 4, 1875, when the original Atlantic Hotel opened for business, Ocean City has been attracting vacationers ever since, many of whom return year after year with succeeding generations of their own families. The long wooden boardwalk is Ocean City's iconic gathering place, lined with vintage arcades for games and rides, souvenir shops, and all the deliciously fried food you can eat (for many, a walk on the Boardwalk goes hand-in-hand with a bucket of Thrasher's fries).

Part state park and part national seashore, the 37-mile Assateague Island National Seashore was established in 1962. Assateague (meaning "a marshy place across") is not only visited by more than 2 million people a year who come to enjoy its pristine beaches and unsullied environment but the island is also home to more than 320 species of birds and more than 300 wild ponies.

Take a photo tour with the gallery above.

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Photo tour: The best beaches in Maryland - USA TODAY

QUINCY, Mass.

Beaches in Quincy, Braintree, Hull and Marshfield have been closed to swimming after testing showed elevated bacteria levels.

The Patriot Ledger reports the Milton Street section of Wollaston Beach, Darcys and Newport beaches in Hull, Smiths Beach in Braintree and Green Harbor Beach in Marshfield are all over the limit recommended for swimming.

Milton Street was posted Wednesday and the others on Thursday.

Newport Avenue in Hull is four times over the limit and Smiths Beach is double. The other three are under twice the recommended maximum.

In most cases the culprit is rain that washed contamination into the water. The beaches are being retested and results are expected on Friday.

The other 60 salt-water beaches on the South Shore passed bacteria tests this week and are open for swimming.

See water quality test results for each community and for Cape Cod, the South Coast and North Shore.

For more on Quincy beaches, call 617-376-1288, or visit tpl-beaches. For more on Wollaston Beach, call 617-626-4972.

HOW BEACHES ARE TESTED

Sixty-five beaches on the South Shore are tested for intestinal bacteria found in humans and animals.

High levels indicate the possible presence of disease-causing microbes that are present in sewage but are more difficult to detect. Bacterial colonies are filtered from three ounces of water and placed on a gel infused with nutrients and chemicals designed to promote growth.

Left in an incubator, the single cells isolated on the filter grow explosively, forming colonies visible to the naked eye. After one day, the colonies are counted and if they exceed 104 colonies, the beach is closed to swimming.

If the past five samples have a mean exceeding 35 colonies, the beach must also be closed to swimming.

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Five beaches closed due to water contamination - WCVB Boston - WCVB Boston