Three Florida beaches are ranked on world-renowned coastal expert Dr. Beach’s (a.k.a. Dr. Stephen Leatherman) 17th annual Top 10 Beaches list according to an announcement by VISITFLORIDA on June 8. Caladesi Island State Park in Clearwater, Lighthouse Point Park in Daytona Beach and Siesta Beach in Sarasota ranked two, nine and ten, respectively.
“With more than 1,200 miles of sand beaches to explore, Florida is home to some of the best beaches in the nation,” said Bud Nocera, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA. “It is an honor to once again have them recognized in this prestigious top 10 list.”
As “Dr. Beach,” Dr. Leatherman is recognized as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on beach quality and ratings. Since 1991, the Florida International University professor has issued his annual list of top 10 beaches in America. Each list comprises the best swimming beaches in the country, based on criteria evaluating scientific and ecological factors, as well as facilities and management. Once a beach is declared No.1, it is retired from the Best Beaches survey.
Florida is home to several previous national No.1 winners: Fort De Soto State Park (2005), St. Joseph Peninsula State Park (2002), St. Andrews State Recreation Area (1995), Grayton Beach State Recreation Area (1994) and Bahia Honda State Recreation Area (1992).
What makes Leatherman’s selections unique is his knowledge as a Ph.D. coastal scientist with 30 years of scientific experience studying storm impacts, erosion and ways to improve beach health and safety.
To learn more about Florida’s beaches on this top 10 list, visit http://www.visitflorida.com/
For more information on Dr. Beach’s 2007 Top 10 Beaches, visit http://www.drbeach.org/
Report by Chitra Mogul
