Access for all? Beach access and equity in the Detroit metropolitan area

Beaches are a unique type of recreation setting, offering a variety of water- and land-based opportunities that can meet residents’ diverse and complex recreation needs. Providing and improving equitable access to recreation amenities such as beaches have been recognized as essential responsibilities of public leisure agencies. This study assessed the degree of equity inherent in the distribution of public beaches in the Detroit metropolitan area; to account for spatial effects, phenomena rarely considered in prior equity analyses, geographically weighted regression was employed. Considerable local variations in the relationships between level of access to public beaches and population density, proportion of elderly population and educational attainment were identified. Such findings can help parks and recreation agencies better understand local patterns of equity, an important first step in facilitating the formulation of more efficient and effective planning and policy approaches.     

厦门湾海滩微塑料污染特征

以厦门湾6个典型海滩为工作区,分析海滩微塑料的污染特征.结果表明:①厦门湾6个海滩的微塑料丰度数据范围介于(28. 1±9. 4)～(312. 7±35. 2) n·kg~(-1)之间.②厦门湾海滩微塑料分为碎片类、发泡类、薄膜类和纤维类等4种类型.各站位点均以碎片类和发泡类为主,占总数量的80%左右,薄膜类和纤维类所占比例较少.③厦门湾海滩粒径1 mm的微塑料占最大比例,超过60%.粒径为1～3 mm和3～5 mm的微塑料所占比例较小.④通过红外光谱分析,确认厦门湾海滩微塑料碎片类和纤维类的主要成分是聚乙烯,发泡类和薄膜类的主要成分是聚苯乙烯.⑤通过扫描电镜观测,大部分微塑料表面粗糙、凹凸不平,带有明显裂痕.整体而言,厦门湾海滩微塑料污染处于中等偏下的程度,陆源污染是厦门湾海滩微塑料污染的最主要来源.     

In-situ Treatment of Oiled Sediment Shorelines

Experimental oil spill studies were conducted to quantify the effectiveness of selected in-situ shoreline treatment options to accelerate natural oil removal processes on mixed-sediment (sand and pebble) shorelines. At each of three distinct shoreline sites, treatment test plots and control plots were established within a 40-, 80- and 143-m continuous stretch of oiled shoreline. A total of 5500 l of oil was deposited along a 3-m wide swath in the upper intertidal zone at each site. Approximately one week after oiling, a different treatment technique was applied to each plot. The treatment techniques were: sediment relocation (surf washing), mixing (tilling), bioremediation (fertilizer application), and bioremediation combined with mixing. One plot at each site was monitored for natural attenuation. The quantity of oil removed from the plots was measured six times up to 60 days post-treatment and then again one year later. Changes in the physical character of the beach, oil penetration, movement of oil to the subtidal environment, toxicity, and biodegradation were monitored over the 400-day period.The results verified quantitatively that relocation of oiled sediments significantly accelerated the rate of oil removal from the shoreline by more than one year. Microscopic observations and image analyses confirmed that the oil-mineral aggregate formation process was active and was increased by sediment relocation. Oil biodegradation occurred in this arctic environment, both in the oiled sediments and on the fine mineral particles removed from the sediment by natural physical processes. The biodegradation of oil in sediment was significantly stimulated by simple bioremediation protocols. Mixing (by tilling) did not clearly stimulate oil loss and natural recovery in the context of this experimental design. None of the treatment techniques elevated toxicity in the nearshore environment to unacceptable levels, nor did they result in consequential alongshore or nearshore oiling.     

Impacts of Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) on Macrobenthic Assemblages on Sandy Beaches

Sandy beaches are the prime sites for human recreation and underpin many coastal economies and developments. In many coastal areas worldwide, beach recreation relies on the use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) driven on the shore. Yet, the use of ORVs is not universally embraced due to social conflicts with other beach user groups and putative environmental consequences of vehicle traffic on sandy shores. Such ecological impacts of ORVs are, however, poorly understood for endobenthic invertebrates of the intertidal zone seawards of the dunes. Consequently, this study quantified the degree to which assemblages of intertidal beach invertebrates are affected by traffic. The study design comprised a series of temporally replicated spatial contrasts between two reference sites (no ORVs) and two beaches with heavy ORV traffic (in excess of 250,000 vehicles per year) located in South-East Queensland, Australia. Macrobenthic assemblages on ORV-impacted beaches had significantly fewer species at substantially reduced densities, resulting in marked shifts in community composition and structure. These shifts were particularly strong on the middle and upper shore where vehicle traffic was concentrated. Strong effects of ORVs were detectable in all seasons, but increased towards the summer months as a result of heavier traffic volumes. This study provides clear evidence that ORVs can have substantial impacts on sandy beach invertebrates that are manifested throughout the whole community. Demonstrating such an ecological impact caused by a single type of human use poses a formidable challenge to management, which needs to develop multi-faceted approaches to balance environmental, social, cultural, and economic arguments in the use of sandy shores, including management of “beach traffic.”     

Environmental management policy in a coastal tourism municipality: the case study of Cervia (Italy)

The sustainability concept applied to human activities implies the need to harmonise the protection of environment with a satisfactory economic and social development. This is particularly true for tourism development: a misuse of the natural resources can cause a degradation of the tourist appeal of the destination, bringing it finally to its economic decline. This problem is particularly important in coastal tourism destinations. The implementation of an environmental management system is a powerful way for progressing towards better environmental performances. In this paper, the main results obtained in applying the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme procedure to the municipality of Cervia, a well-known tourist destination located on the Adriatic coast of Italy are described. This research puts into evidence that the main environmental pressures in the summer season are related to the supply of potable water, the production of solid wastes and wastewater air pollution and noise, etc. However, if correctly planned and managed, tourism can also contribute to environmental protection, to the conservation of biodiversity and to a sustainable use of natural resources.     

Predicting the Impact of Sea-Level Rise on Caribbean Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat

Abstract:  The projected rise in sea level is likely to increase the vulnerability of coastal zones in the Caribbean, which are already under pressure from a combination of anthropogenic activities and natural processes. One of the major effects will be a loss of beach habitat, which provides nesting sites for endangered sea turtles. To assess the potential impacts of sea-level rise on sea turtle nesting habitat, we used beach profile measurements of turtle nesting beaches on Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, to develop elevation models of individual beaches in a geographic information system. These models were then used to quantify areas of beach vulnerable to three different scenarios of a rise in sea level. Physical characteristics of the beaches were also recorded and related to beach vulnerability, flooding, and nesting frequency. Beaches varied in physical characteristics and therefore in their vulnerability to flooding. Up to 32% of the total current beach area could be lost with a 0.5-m rise in sea level, with lower, narrower beaches being the most vulnerable. Vulnerability varied with land use adjacent to the beach. These predictions about loss of nesting habitat have important implications for turtle populations in the region.     

榕江入海口自然沙滩微型塑料污染调查研究

1920s至今,塑料产业发展迅猛,海洋塑料污染问题日益严重.关于微型塑料(尺寸小于5 mm)对海洋生态系统的危害近年来受到国际社会的广泛关注.目前,我国关于河口和海岸带微型塑料的污染调查研究相对较少,开展相关研究将有利于海洋生态系统的管理、保护与健康.因此,本文以粤东第二大河流(榕江,汕头)入海口附近的自然沙滩为研究区域,选择榕江主干入海口、支流入海口和偏远海岸3个不同的区域,布设6个采样站位,调查和研究高潮线上部中小型塑料垃圾的组成、分布和来源.结果表明:榕江入海口自然沙滩废塑料的主要成分为塑料碎片(60%)、泡沫聚苯乙烯(27%)和前体颗粒(13%);各沙滩废塑料的平均密度为1067.67个·m-2,与世界其它地区同类的研究相比处于中等偏上的水平;废塑料的尺寸以直径小于5 mm的微型塑料为主,数量占总数的72%;微型塑料密度和塑料总密度在不同采样区域都呈现相同的趋势,即支流入海口附近海滩主干入海口附近海滩偏远海滩.对微型塑料的来源也作了初步探讨,河流上游塑料污染、河口附近城市的生活塑料垃圾排放及海上渔业活动是海滩微型塑料的主要潜在来源.     

Evaluation of beach quality as perceived by users

Recreational beaches are strategic ecosystems for tourism and should be used in a sustainable manner. We studied three beaches in the municipality of Guaymas (NW Mexico), in order to assess their beach quality and identify key management issues. The evaluation was based on the perceptions of users concerning: (1) the user profile; (2) the recreational habits of users; and (3) the biophysical characteristics, infrastructure, services, and cleanliness of each beach. The results showed that the beaches were of different quality. The key management issues identified were the need to design and apply specific management programs for each beach, specifically in regards to improving infrastructure and services, and obtaining certification as a sustainable beach. The evaluation of the beaches as perceived by users suggests that it would be useful to assess beach quality in order to support management goals and be applicable to other beaches, both nationally and internationally.     

Effects of seascape connectivity on reserve performance along exposed coastlines

Seascape connectivity (landscape connectivity in the sea) can modify reserve performance in low-energy marine ecosystems (e.g., coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass), but it is not clear whether similar spatial linkages also shape reserve effectiveness on high-energy, exposed coastlines. We used the surf zones of ocean beaches in eastern Australia as a model system to test how seascape connectivity and reserve attributes combine to shape conservation outcomes. Spatial patterns in fish assemblages were measured using baited remote underwater video stations in 12 marine reserves and 15 fished beaches across 2000 km of exposed coastline. Reserve performance was shaped by both the characteristics of reserves and the spatial properties of the coastal seascapes in which reserves were embedded. Number of fish species and abundance of harvested fishes were highest in surf-zone reserves that encompassed >1.5 km of the surf zone; were located < 100 m to rocky headlands; and included pocket beaches in a heterogeneous seascape. Conservation outcomes for exposed coastlines may, therefore, be enhanced by prioritizing sufficiently large areas of seascapes that are strongly linked to abutting complementary habitats. Our findings have broader implications for coastal conservation planning. Empirical data to describe how the ecological features of high-energy shorelines influence conservation outcomes are lacking, and we suggest that seascape connectivity may have similar ecological effects on reserve performance on both sheltered and exposed coastlines.     

Valuing welfare impacts of climate change in coastal areas: a French case study

Beach protection has become a major issue in reducing coastal risks (erosion and flooding). It is thus advisable to study residents’ preferences for mitigation strategies. Willingness-to-pay (WTP) by permanent and secondary residents for flood protection provided to properties by Languedoc-Roussillon beaches (French Mediterranean coast) is investigated by a contingent valuation study. Results show that WTP is more influenced by risk perception variables than by socio-economic ones. The WTP is then extrapolated on the basis of different adaptation strategies (laissez-faire, managed retreat, denial etc.) which provided information about expected damage associated with sea level rise at the 2100 time horizon.