Message from the President | Chapter One | Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Beaches serve an important role in the U.S. economy and the natural environment. Each year approximately 180 million Americans visit our nation’s ocean, gulf and inland beaches. Coastal recreation and tourism are estimated to contribute over $640 billion annually to the U.S. economy (85% of all U.S. tourist revenues). At the same time, beaches provide a crucial habitat for marine life and coastal species. Moreover, beaches often adjoin wetland and coral reef ecosystems, both recognized for their ecological value.
Yet, our coastlines are threatened. The growing population and industry along both the East and West coasts as well as the Great Lakes are increasingly polluting our beaches. This pollution comes in the form of beach litter, sewage overflows, storm water runoffs, agriculture and industrial discharges, and recreational activities, such as boating. For instance, from 2002 to 2003, the number of beach closing rose 51% to a staggering 18,000 reported closings nationwide.[i] While some of this increase can be attributed to more accurate and frequent testing of recreational water, the growing impact of humans cannot be ignored.
Responding to this emerging threat, environmental agencies and health departments regularly test the swimming water for the presence of fecal indicator bacteria such as E.coli and enterococci. High densities of indicator bacteria in the water often prompt state or local agencies to close beaches until a safe level is reached.
Not until recently, however, have studies investigated the presence of indicator bacteria (E. coli) in the sand itself. In 1994, researchers first began to notice that concentrations of E. coli bacteria were much higher in the sand and in shallow water than in the deeper water. A 2003 United States Geological Survey study observed that indicator bacteria levels in sand averaged 5-10 times higher than levels in adjacent swimming waters.[ii] Scientists suspect that while many pathogens find water a less hospitable environment, bacteria harbored in the sand may persist longer than in the water because they adhere to sediment particles, unlike free bacteria in water. At present, however, there is no conclusive link between indicator bacteria in sand and human health.
The Clean Beaches Council’s 2005 State of the Beaches Report: Bacteria and Sand is an in-depth look at the current research addressing the issue of bacteria and sand. It is intended to catalyze action on this emerging field of science and improve the health and quality of America’s beaches.
This report also serves as a call to action for our leaders in government, the scientific community and the beach-going public to take the following actions:
Call to Action 1: Establish a national science program to address the geological/biological processes between bacteria and sand, including epidemiological studies on the potential link to human health.
Call to Action 2: Establish a global network of researchers devoted to advancing the science of geological/biological processes of bacteria and sand, and their subsequent impacts on human health.
Call to Action 3: Establish a national coastal corps network of beach goers, committed to increasing beach science literacy through education, outreach and action.
To help us advance the call to action, please visit us online at www.cleanbeaches.org or contact us by email at info@cleanbeaches.org.
Message from the President | Chapter One | Table of Contents
[i]Mark Dorfman, “Testing the Waters 2003: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches,” a report for the Natural Resource Defense Council, < http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/titinx.asp>, (Accessed February, 2005).
[ii] Whitman RL, Nevers MB, “Foreshore sand as a source of Escherichia coli in nearshore water of a Lake Michigan beach.” Appl Environ Microbiol. 2003 Sep;69(9):5555-62.
