Dr. Stephen Leatherman, professor and director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at the University of Maryland, College Park, has released his annual list of America's best beaches. "Dr. Beach" considered fifty different factors, including current, wave size, smell, views and vistas, and intensity of beach use, to rate the twenty finest public beaches of 650 nation wide. This site features...

As the dog days of summer begin to set in, humans tend to flock like seagulls to the sun and sand of the shore and sea. This Topic in Depth examines several topics of interest from food chain on a beach to coral reefs. The first site (1), from the National Park Service, offers a look at the exceptionally beautiful Canaveral National Seashore. The site gives information about the flora and fauna...

This annual Surfrider Foundation report surveys the state of the beaches in coastal and Great Lakes states that are home to Foundation chapters. Each state is rated based on the availability of information and status of eight indicators, including beach access, Website access, surf zone water quality, and beach erosion, among others. The report is written from the perspective of a "concerned local...