beaches

The bathers have always seen the sea shells as an innocent souvenir. And that is taking its toll on the beaches

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A shell measures only a few centimeters. Not that, in some cases. That is why it is normal to take a small snail or a valve home seems a harmless act and without the greatest significance. It is. The problem is when that small act is multiplied by thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or thousands of millionswhich adds to the visits that humanity makes to the beaches of the planet over a year. With that data on the table the ‘stolen’ shells to the sands do become a challenge, one capable of even Alter ecosystems. Granite granite is made a beach … And it gets rid. A quick (and devastating) calculation. In the world we live around 8,000 million Of people and (almost) we all share a hobby: go to the beach, take long walks through the sand, sunbathe, bathe and why not? Go home with a little shell in your pocket as a memory. After all, what’s wrong with? The act is innocent if we look only at what we do, but the thing changes when we expand the perspective and we put accounts, which was recently a Florida researcher in An interview with The country. “There are almost 10,000 million visits to beaches annually and almost certainly, Explain Michał Kowalewski, a researcher of specialized in the study of invertebrates. “Let’s say that a shell is collected for every hundred visits, which sounds at little, but even so we would be talking about 10,000 tons of shells that disappear from the beaches every year.” In summary, a full -fledged marine plunder with which several Olympic pools could be filled to the top. Are there more calculations? Yes. A few years ago Kowalewski participated in A study Together with experts from the University of Barcelona (UB) that helps to understand what the bathers take home Conchas. Its analysis is interesting because part of a very concrete sandal, the Saolu Long Beachin Tarragona, where the influx of tourists has triplicate Since 70. To know how that boom is affecting the area, experts compared two samples of shells taken with enough margin: the first data of 1978-1981, the second of 2008-2010. What did they find out? That that greater pressure from the bathers was taking its toll on the Reserve of Conchas. And for worse. “The increase in tourism on the Mediterranean coast is related to a 70% decrease in shells during the tourist season of July and August and 60% the rest of the year,” summary From Ub. The area in which they focused their efforts is interesting because the influx of tourists increased 2.7 times during the study period and the analyzes show that the abundance of shells along the coast fell almost to the same extent, 2.6. Is everything due to tourism? The studypublished in 2023 in the academic magazine Plos Oneemphasizes the influence of tourism and its considerable increase between the end of the 70s and early 21st century, but that is not the only factor that has influenced the beach ecosystem. During the three decades that passed between both samples the urban environment of the beach was altered with new hotels and also varied the use and maintenance of the environment. “The correlation could also respond to the increase in water turbidity because there are more recreational vessels or for organic pollution, or the elimination of shells for daily cleaning services, among other reasons,” They recognize Catalan experts, who insist on the need for “more studies”, especially in areas where tourists look actively for their great view, as in the coast of Florida, the Philippines or Indonesia. Why is it important? Because shells are more than whims of nature or potential souvenirs. “They are not there by chance, they are part of the natural gear that keeps our beaches alive and stable,” Clarify in The country Fernando García, one of those responsible for the Malacological Collection of the National Museum of Natural Sciences. The shells help the sands retain their firmness and resist erosion and even influence the acidity of the water. Much more than souvenirs: homes. “The disappearance of shells could have a significant impact on the natural environment, causing alterations in the stabilization of the coastline and a decrease in the production of carbonated sediments, among others,” Underline in the UB. Not to mention that the shells serve to look more than look in our nightstand. There are birds that use them to build nests and serve as a refuge for different organisms. An extra reason: the law. There is one more reason to think twice to fill the shell pockets. In addition to damaging the environment can damage our economy. As I remembered recently Legal, technically the Coastal Law It does not allow “elements of the maritime-terrestrial public domain” and that includes mollusks, stones, sand and shells. “This activity can lead to a sanction of up to 60,000 euros according to the value of the damage “, warns. “Irreparable damage”. At the beginning of 2022 the Cabildo de Fuerteventura recognized that in just four months (and not precisely high season) the island authorities had seized more than 4,500 kilos of shells, rholites, stones and sand at the airport. Hence, remember the local population and tourists “the importance of avoiding practices such as the plundering of materials.” “Every year the Environment personnel return thousands of kilos of this type of Majorero landscape materials that recover from the plunder at the Fuerteventura airport,” insists The organism, which points out that the most seized material is white sand (640 kg) and black (309 kg). “Insular ecosystems are fragile, so any bad condition can be as irreparable damage.” Images | Carlos Alejo (Flickr) and Art of Hoping (UNSPLASH) In Xataka | The beach of the crystals: Galicia has one of the most fascinating sands in Spain by chance

The summers are so short in Finland that he has accepted a guest to enjoy the beaches: kilos of poop

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A few months ago, the Finnish nation was proclaimed for the eighth time the country Happy on the planet. Then we saw that nothing is perfect, because while it happened, the United States landed to prepare them next Battle for the Arctic. And between one thing and another, summer has reached its beaches. As always, it will not be very long, and this year is accompanied by an exorbitant amount of excrement. Brief and disputed. I told this week The New York Times. In a country where summer lasts just two months and the sun becomes a scarce good, every warm day is almost like a miracle. Helsinki, like the rest of the country, lives those weeks with intensity: crowded beaches, whole bicycle families and citizens anxious to take advantage of temperatures that in any other place would seem soft, but that exceed historical records here. However, in that space of evasion an unexpected intruder has appeared: the Barnaclas geeseRobust and gregarious birds that have colonized parks, avenues and, above all, the beaches of the capital. His MASIV PRESENCEA (more than 5,000 accounted for in the area last summer) has transformed the outdoor life into a constant surveillance exercise, where walkers must measure each step so as not to sink into excrements that accumulate in surprising quantities. The daily excrement. The problem, although an anecdotal in appearance, directly affects the enjoyment of a summer that the Finns consider sacred. On the beaches, before extending the towel you have to Check the groundVolley players pray not to land Bruces in a brown puddle, and parents watch with anguish that their young children do not confuse manure with sand or grass. The Times told That, in the parks, the lawn is upholstered with feces that are embedded in the soles, and in the central avenues the geese cross pedestrians with the same naturalness as the beatles very Beatles in Abbey Road. The figures illustrate the magnitude of the challenge: on some beaches, maintenance personnel collect more than 20 kg of excrement per daya volume that requires whole crews of seasonal workers, multiplied in the last decade. Failed innovations. For years, the Helsinki City Council has tested methods To contain the plague. They tried to mix the stool with the sand, but the water ended up contaminated. They used recordings of sea eagles to scare birds, but the geese got used to it soon. It was even studied to hire trained dogs, as other cities do, although they were too expensive and little available. The Great hope This summer was a machine designed by the maintenance team itself. A kind of sieve with wheels, similar to a manual corteped, which had to separate the feces from the sand. The problem? In practice it was Heavy and ineffective In humid soils, and ended up relegated to a warehouse. In the end, the most reliable resource remains the most rudimentary: shovel, gum gloves and infinite patience. Inevitable coexistence. The battle against geese, however, is limited by legislation and Finnish ethics: urban hunting or mass sacrifice is not allowed, such as in Canada or California, where transfers or culeing. In Helsinki, geese are not only a nuisance, but already part of the summer landscape, inserted in the urban imaginary and the daily routine of its inhabitants. In fact, the workers who collect the manure find a certain serenity in the repetitive task (although the smell persecutes them later). The reality is that, in a country where summer is too short to waste it, the Finns seem to accept this uncomfortable invasion as a price to pay to enjoy its beaches. With humor and stoicism, they have assumed that between the sun, water and sand there will always be a third guest: the omnipresent goose … and its inevitable trace. Image | JIP In Xataka | Finland is the happiest country in the world. And is also preparing thoroughly for the most unhappy end: war In Xataka | Finland has found a cheap way to store energy all winter: a tower of 2,000 tons of sand

The rent has risen so much in Galicia that its beaches have problems hiring something fundamental: lifeguards

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The tourism industry has faced for a long time A worrying dilemma In Spain (as in other countries): as its main destinations grow and gain attractive, The price goes up of the accommodation, which makes things more and more difficult for workers who support the sector. We have seen it In Tenerifewhere there are hoteliers who are forced to Sleep in caravans For the high cost of rentals. And we see it now In Galiciawhere housing is affecting an even more sensitive group: lifeguards. Although in the official registry of the community there are registered Thousands of lifeguards Prepared to monitor the beaches, some locations are costing to sign them. And one of the reasons is the high price of rentals on the coast. Costs. The news He has revealed it The Galician mail: Although the official registration of the Xunta has more than 4,500 inscribed lifeguards, a record that exceeds 13% to those accounted for in 2024, there are areas of Galicia in which it is not easy to “sign” professionals. It is not a general something. In fact there are municipalities that have covered their vacancies well. But there are certain points in the region in which not even this abundance assures them to find vigilantes. And what is the reason? There are several factors at stake. Input, how the population is distributed. Not all municipalities have the same bag of inhabitants and, therefore, of neighbors with the lifeguard title willing to cover sand sands that remain close to their homes. Another key is working conditions. The salaries are around 1,200 euros per month, according to Precise The Galician mailand they are hired for very short periods, from two to three months. These circumstances lead to professionals who choose to move to other more southern or warm destinations, such as the Canary Islands or Andalusia, in which they can opt for six -month jobs or for full years. To solve it there are those who even has raised The possibility of betting on “a permanent body” of lifeguards who cover the heat months, more extensive. Another handicap that affects the sector is the bureaucracy: the longer the aid takes, the greater the risk that the lifeguards have sought alternatives. Housing slopes. The above are, together with the regulatory issues of the sector, the factors that have marked the guild in Galicia in recent years and explain that the region has suffered shortage of lifeguards. Now one more factor comes into play. The mail assures that this summer the consistors are proving easier to sign vigilants, but where the reason has been found with difficulties is another: the housing price, In full climb. The general price increase in Galicia as a whole, 7.1% in the last year According to idealistadded to the high seasonal demand of coastal destinations during the summer months, Galician lifeguards who have to leave their locality and rent a floor. In practice that hinders hiring in localities that have to ‘import’ lifeguards out. Is the house so expensive? A few days ago Technitas published A report in which he points out that an 85 m2 apartment on Riazor beach (A Coruña) reaches € 1,400 per week, one hundred more than last year. In Vicedo (Lugo) a 65 m2 floor costs 650 euros, one hundred more than a year ago, and in O Grove (Pontevedra) a 75 m2 house requires a disbursement of 950 euros per week. The report speaks of vacation leases, but that scenario fully affects seasonal professionals who, like lifeguards, seek accommodation for a few months. Beyond Galicia. It is not a problem that affects only Galicia. Recently Antena3 He spoke With José Luis, a lifeguard who has been in Ibiza for 25 years and who has not left any choice but to buy a caravan to have a place to live. Renting an apartment is discarded, he explains, because it costs more than he earns with his watchman work. Even the caravan option begins to complicate. “Being in a campsite costs me about 1,800 euros per month.” “This is something that happens throughout Spain and the most affected places are the ones with the greatest tourist influx, such as Balearic Islands, Valencian Community and some areas of Andalusia and Catalonia,” Confirm to The mail José Palacios, coordinator of the Research Group in Aquatic Activities and Saporrism and President of DEAC, the entity responsible for granting the blue flags to the sand. Healing in health. To make sure they will have lifeguards there are consistories that directly choose to form them. This is the case of Ribeira, in the Barbanza region, which in 2024 and 2025 He has conducted courses Own who have allowed him to prepare the young people who will be in charge of controlling the sands of the region. Another strategy to prevent them from opting for less seasonal destinations is to expand their work period: instead of hiring them in July, they are incorporated into their positions in June, when many beaches of Galicia begin to fill. Images | Pedro Dias (Flickr) and Carmelo Peciña (Flickr) In Xataka | “Fodechinchos Free”: in a bar in Galicia Tourism Fobia is being redirected against the Spaniards of other regions

Some geologists studied the sand of one of the beaches of day D in Normandy. They discovered that 4% is still shrapnel

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More than 80 years have passed from “Day D” And yet his memory is still very present on the beaches of Normandy. And not in an ethereal and symbolic way. No. Beyond memory, the landing of allied troops in the French region in June 1944 maintains a palpable footprint in its sand. One that can be touched and seen, although for the latter an electronic microscope is needed. This was checked by a group of geologists who collected a sand sample on the beach of Omaha. When taking her to her laboratory and studying it in detail, they bought, amazed, that 4% were actually remains of shrapnel. A microscopic memory of a historical date. Normandy walk. That is what they did a good day of 1988, the Geology professor Earle McBridefrom the University of Texas in Austin, and its colleague Dane Picard, of the University of Utah. While doing a field study in France decided to take a break and visit the famous Omaha beachone of the main landing points of the day D in Normandy. They did not have much luck with their Norman trip. The day they walked through the sand, around eight kilometers long, it was disappeared, cold and windy; But that did not prevent McBride and Picard to take home a memory that honored his formation: a small sand sample. Some time later they decided to rescue the bag with those grains of Normandy and observe them under the microscope. And the surprise came. What McBride found in that sample of sand collected in Omaha Beach caught his attention. In addition to quartz remains and other materials that it already gave, the geologist observed tiny Metal fragments. When studying them in detail with the microscope he found that they had a rounded shape, they were rough, laminated and an opaque brightness, with some oxide points. Some pieces were around the millimeter. Others did not go from 0.06 mm. The remains of the battle. Thus, reduced to millimetric metal accounts eroded by waves and the passage of time, perhaps they were difficult to identify, but McBride ended up reaching a fascinating conclusion. What I had before them were vestiges of Normandy landing. “They turned out to be a shrapnel of the invasion of World War II. After a more detained exam, he also saw iron and glass accounts that had resulted from the intense heat unleashed by the explosions in the air and the sand,” They detail From the University of Texas in Austin. So curious was his finding that, together with PicardProfessor McBride decided to prepare An article and publish it in the magazine The sedimentary record. Foreseeable. “Of course it is not surprising that the sand of the beach of Omaha be added at the time of battle, but it is that it has survived more than 40 years and without a doubt it is still there today,” They commented Both experts. His sample was from the end of the 80s and The report They published it in 2011; But everything indicates that the situation remains the same today. In 2011 experts They calculated that corrosion would still take a century to destroy shrapnel grains. A well mesurable footprint. If McBride and Picard’s study is surprising, it is because it has done more than verifying that – discussion after day D – through the Normandy beaches, remains of shrapnel are still distributed. So or more curious is that experts have managed to contribute a fairly precise idea what this footprint represents in the sand. After examining the exhibition in detail, the Texas geologist found that metals represent 4% of the sand. The data is illustrative, although McBride and Picard slide that there could be variations depending on where and when the sand is collected. “Due to the possible plasticization of shrapnel and heavy minerals by the waves and currents the day we collected our sample, we do not know to what extent it is representative of the sand of the beach as a whole.” The Omaha was one of the great landing points of day D, but there were other beaches in Normandy to which the allies arrived in the Neptune operationknown as Utah, Sword, Gold and Juno. Date of expiration. Although the accounts discovered by American geologists are a peculiar memory of the day and have survived decades, McBride and Picard have already noticed years ago that they will not last forever. The remains of shrapnel could resist erosion for millennity, but when the grains study the geologists discovered oxide particles, which leads them to be pessimistic about their future. “The waves stir the iron fragments, which in turn eliminates part of the oxide and exposes fresh material, more prone to oxidation, which in turn follows, and so on,” Point out The University of Texas. “The result is that they will become smaller and in the end the storms or hurries will drag them and take out of the beach,” McBride reflected in 2011. His calculations pointed out that 4% of shrapnel identified in Omaha Beach would be reduced to insignificance in a century. They will remain to remember the allied landing, yes, monuments and memory. Image | Person-With-No Name (Flickr) In Xataka | The US landed on an empty island during World War II. In nine days it had more than 300 casualties *An earlier version of this article was published in June 2024

They warn about water quality on the beaches of Los Angeles

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Los Angeles County Health Authorities They asked the public to avoid all county beaches due to seawater pollution by bacteria due to rain. In a press releasehe Los Angeles County Department of Public Health urged residents to avoid coming into contact with water, especially near storm drains, streams and rivers because higher levels of bacteria may exist in these areas. The warning of water quality due to contaminants from rain remains in effect for all county beaches until at least 8:00 a.m. Thursday, January 30, 2025. Keep reading: High levels of bacteria on Southern California beaches “Recreational waters of oceans and bays, especially near storm drains, streams and rivers, can become contaminated with bacteria, chemicals, debris, trash, and other public health hazards coming from city streets and mountainous areas after a rain,” the statement said. Warnings about high levels of bacteria in ocean waters They remain in effect for 72 hours after the rains end. The public health department warned that anyone who comes into contact with water in restricted areas may be at risk of illness. Keep reading: City of Los Angeles to pay $20.8 million for wastewater incident Surfers are not allowed to enter the water on the beaches.Credit: Richard Vogel | AP The warning about sea water pollution could extend if rains continue in the region. After the rain warning is lifted, Seawater warning from Surfrider Beach to Dockweiler State Beach on World Waywill remain in force due to the runoff of debris from fires, with substances such as arsenic, asbestos and other metals, which can be harmful to health. This alert includes any runoff that can flow or accumulate in the sand of a beach. Keep reading: Bacteria affect water quality on Los Angeles beaches For information on Los Angeles County beach conditions, available 24 hours a day, You can contact the beach closure hotline at 1-800-525-5662. If you want to observe a map showing the county beaches affected and get more information you can enter this link. Keep reading:· Discover which is the most polluted beach in the United States: it is in southern California· Authorities investigate another possible oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach· Scientists found a massive dump of toxic chemicals like DDT off the coast of Los Angeles

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