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| The
Sands of Time |
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| Most
of us walk along the beach barefoot, digging in our toes to explore
the cool sand beneath the sun-heated surface. Some venture to the
beach quite often, especially during the wonderfully long days of
summer. There are many reasons to enjoy the beach - relaxing in the
sun, riding the turbulent waves, playing with the kids or the dog,
or simply to energize oneself with the intake of fresh, salty air
during a morning walk. In many places, you can walk for miles without
running out of beach. Where does all that sand come from? What lives
there? And how can we help preserve these shifting sand paradises
over time? |
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| Beaches
are built in part by the motion of waves. Sediment is moved shoreward
by weak waves "pushing" the sand up onto shore. This is
great for all of us beachgoers, but this same motion can also close
off bays and harbors. Stronger waves cause erosion by "pulling"
the sediment back into the water, which is why beaches grow both bigger
and smaller, at times disappearing all together. |
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| Because
of this constant shifting, plants and animals have a difficult time
making the beach a home. But that is not to say there is not plenty
of live action. Crabs, clams, birds, turtles, insects, small mammals,
and even fish utilize the beach, at least part of the time! Clams,
insects and worms often make the sand their home, having developed
special adaptations like sharp shells, long "feet", and
large gills allowing them to breath under the moist sand. Birds come
in to take advantage of those tasty meal opportunities, either by
probing the sand like the sandpipers, dashing along on top of it like
the plovers or flying above it as the gulls do. Sea turtles, and some
species of crabs, like the horseshoe crab create nests for their eggs
in the soft beach soil. On the Atlantic coast, each female horseshoe
crab lays up to 20,000 eggs in the nest she has dug. The cycle is
evident here at this time of year, for many of the sand dwellers and
visitors come out to take advantage of this bounty. |
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In
order for the beach to remain healthy for all of the creatures who
need and use it, there are things all of us can do. The Ocean Conservancy
organizes beach cleanups around the country each year. I have participated
many times and it's amazing the amount of trash we pick up from
the same places year after year. Each person may only be contributing
a little, but with all the people utilizing the beaches, it adds
up fast. In the year 2000, 170,000 people participated in beach
cleanups, collecting an incredible 4.4 million pounds of debris!
This included tons of cigarette butts (the number one trash item
found on our beaches), thousands of bottles and cans, as well as
old clothes, paper, and fishing gear. Most of these items can be
deadly to marine life. If you can't actually participate in a beach
cleanup, then at least you know you can help by not letting trash
end up on the beaches in the first place. And the next time you
go to the beach, I bet you won't take that luxurious sand for granted!
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