Southern California's Perfect Beaches Are Killing Wildlife
Grooming and filling beaches is altering the biodiversity of these ecosystems, research finds.
Beach grooming is the practice of mechanically removing debris, including trash, kelp wrack, shells and driftwood, from a beach.
Photographer: Nick SchoolerSouthern California is known for its pristinely maintained beaches. But those perfect ribbons of sand are causing problems for the surrounding ecosystems.
Grooming and filling, primarily intended to beautify the sand for human recreation, is altering the biodiversity of beach ecosystems, according to new research from University of California, Santa Barbara's Marine Science Institute. Urban beaches with heavy traffic had about half as many native insects and crustaceans than did reference beaches, the study found. The removal of wrack, such as kelp and seaweed, can also be detrimental to local species that rely on it for food and shelter, according to lead author Nick Schooler.