National Healthy Beaches Campaign

As part of the Laboratory for Coastal Research, a non-profit organization within Florida International University in Miami, the National Healthy Beaches Campaign (NHBC) is dedicated to creating a balance between the recreational use of our nation's beaches and maintaining the environmental quality and safety of this prized resource.

Beaches are America's favorite playgrounds. Over 200 million people flock to U.S. beaches for fun and sun annually. A trip to the beach restores the mind, body and soul. At the same time, beach visits are immensely beneficial to the U.S. economy. Beach travelers take longer vacations and spend more money on their trips than the average traveler. They inject revenue into beach communities by shopping, participating in a variety of outdoor activities, and visiting historical places and theme parks. Local residents who frequent their beaches have a year round role in the life of their coasts.

Beach goers' main focus is clean, safe, healthy beaches to play and relax on. Sometimes, unfortunately, visitors arrive at a beach to find it dirty, overcrowded, severely eroded, or the water polluted. Others may have an unpleasant visit because they encounter unforeseen dangers at the beach.

The National Healthy Beaches Campaign (NHBC) is working to address these issues. It is a comprehensive coastal program designed to be an advocate for high standards of beach management, and a primary source of dependable information for beachgoers.

The NHBC is dedicated to educating the public about the delicate nature of coastal ecosystems and the potential hazards in these environments. For instance, sand dunes should always be protected from pedestrian and vehicular traffic, as they are the natural defense against storm waves and surges. Rip currents, on the other hand, are a hazard on some beaches. There are more than 70,000 ocean rescues per year which involve saving someone caught in a rip current (Dr. Beach's Survival Guide, 2003, Yale University Press).

The beach is not a trash can or an ash tray! Be responsible for everything you take to the beach -- every soda can, plastic bag, and cigarette butt.

Are you aware of the effects of your actions? In just one day last year, volunteers found 125 animals entangled in some form of debris. - The Ocean Conservancy

Don't let this happen because of carelessness.

Visit our "Volunteer Opportunities" section to learn of beach cleanup opportunities. Remember that positive actions taken today can preserve our treasured coasts for tomorrow.

Coastal Education
Beaches - What They Are; How They Change

Beaches are accumulations of wave-deposited, loose sediment (usually sand) that extend from the outermost breakers to the landward limit of normal wave and swash action. A generalized beach profile and related terminology are shown in the figure below. The beach is generally composed of the backshore, the portion of the beach from the berm crest to the dunes; the foreshore, the portion sloping toward the ocean; and the nearshore, the portion below water, extending seaward to the outermost breakers.

The beach profile adjusts rapidly to the wave energy. In general, high waves with short periods cause the beach to erode, and the berm sand is shifted offshore to the bar. Low waves with longer periods, primarily in summer, move sand from the bar and return it to the berm. The average wave height varies on a seasonal basis, resulting in typical "winter" (high energy) and "summer" (low energy) beach profiles. The winter profile is characterized by a narrow backshore, flat foreshore, and a large offshore bar. The summer profile has a wide backshore, a steep foreshore, and a well-developed berm.