Press - Diversion Article

Coast is Clear

Dr. Stephen P. Letherman

You may remember Stephen P. Leatherman, a.k.a. Dr. Beach, from Richard John Pietschmann's July 2000 article: "Shifting Sands", where he unraveled the mystery of disappearing beaches for us. His latest endeavor, under the aegis of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research, is the Healthy Beaches Campaign, through which he's encouraging beaches and coastal communities all over the United States to undergo a rigorous 50-point certification program. Certified healthy beaches are listed on Dr. Leatherman's Web site (www.drbeach.org), ensuring vacationers that both the water and sand are clean, and that adequate steps have been taken to protect the safety of swimmers and marine life and to combat beach erosion. Also on the site, check out his top ten beaches for 2002. Then turn off your computer and go catch a wave. - G.D.

Reprinted by permission from Diversion Magazine.