Introduction
Beaches comprise only 9% of the total conterminous coastline in the United States (Ozmore, 1976). Unfortunately, while no national census of beach visits exists, several studies rank beach recreation as one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United States. It is, therefore, surprising that so little research has been undertaken that addresses the socioeconomic aspects of these activities. This anomaly is particularly noticeable when contrasting the volume of physical and biological research undertaken dealing with beaches and the nearshore environment. Historically, beach recreational activities have centered on the following three activities: bathing, shore-based fishing, and beachcombing. During the past 20 years, many new activities have emerged, several of which use beaches primarily as a staging area. Such activities include surfing, windsurfing, boogie boarding, and a host of shallow-water boating activities including kayaking, canoeing,...
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Cross-references
Beach Processes
Cleaning Beaches
Coastal Boundaries
Coastal Zone Management
Developed Coasts
Environmental Quality
Human Impact on Coasts
Lifesaving and Beach Safety
Rating Beaches
Tourism and Coastal Development
Tourism, Criteria for Coastal Sites
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West, N. (2005). Beach Use and Behaviors. In: Schwartz, M.L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Coastal Science. Encyclopedia of Earth Science Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3880-1_43
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