February 7, 2010

Report Details

A sunny and mild neap tide, near low water. Light SW wind, waves 0.5-1.0 m. There were a few parked cars on the beach and a couple of clammers in swash zone; 4 dogs. The density of the strand line debris was extremely variable, ranging from a beach swept virtually clean to large piles of logs. The wood was mostly weathered but had little or no epibionts such as barnacles. Where the litter was dense, it was as usual dominated by plastic. Lots of plastic bottles, but also significant amounts of broken down plastic particles in the mm to cm size range. Larger debris included net and rope. Not much biogenic material in the strand. No bird or marine mammal carcasses, but 30 or so sanderlings were foraging at the tide line. No begging pelicans were observed. The dune face has been significantly eroded and in some places the dune grass has spilled onto the beach. Logs, sticks, and various man-made objects were eroding from the base of the dune. Makes one wonder how long they have been buried…