BeachHunter (me), left, and Dr. Beach on Little Gasparilla Island beach.
I review beaches.
Dr. Beach rates beaches.
How is my work different from his?
Recently I spent some time with Dr. Stephen Leatherman, aka “Dr. Beach,” and was able to watch him go about his work rating beaches as well as chat with him a bit about his work. He’s a very interesting guy, and fun to be around.
Though his work and mine overlap to a small degree, we really do very different things.
Leatherman travels around the country observing and gathering data on beaches. Each Memorial Day weekend he announces his list of the “Top Ten Beaches in the Nation.”
I travel around Florida observing and gathering data and photos of beaches. I don’t really have a “top ten” list. The question I try to help people answer is “Which is the best beach for us today, based on what we want to do?”
To me, every beach is a top beach for someone. I try to point out the best Florida beaches for snorkeling, for instance. I describe the good points and not-so-good points about each beach, rather than try to rank one beach over another.
Here I am in my "office" at the beach, doing some serious research.
Dr. Leatherman is a scientist. I’m not, although I certainly try to stay abreast of what scientists are discovering about our beaches.
Leatherman focuses on major recreational beaches. He’s mainly interested in beaches where lots of people go–beaches with restrooms, showers, food and drink concessions, big parking lots, lifeguards–the works.
I try to visit all the beaches to ferret out the relatively unknown gems that might appeal to folks who aren’t necessarily looking for a “major recreational beach.”
Because Leatherman visits so many beaches over such a large area, he isn’t able to really visit any of the beaches on a regular basis, though he does have a network of contacts that help him stay up-to-date on important changes.
Because I cover a relatively small area (just Florida), I’m able to visit the same beaches more frequently and gain a more intimate knowledge of our beaches and what makes each special.
I like to visit and review remote beaches, like the ones on Anclote Key.
Dr. Leatherman is more concerned with the physical properties of the beach. He’s a coastal geologist and his life’s work involves research on beach erosion and how storms affect beaches, though he does take other factors into consideration when he is ranking beaches.
I spend more time studying plants, birds, sea beans and beach wrack, fishing, surfing kayaking, etc.
I don’t take the kind of measurements Dr. Leatherman does and I don’t do statistical analysis of beach features. I do tend to do a lot more photography at the beach than he does. And I like to shoot video.
I do plan to add two measurements to my reviews. I plan to begin measuring the steepness of beaches so I can more effectively compare and describe them. Also I plan to start measuring the turbidity (clarity) of the water on each beach. Those are two measures that Dr. Leatherman uses that I think would be valuable for me to do as well. Watching him work was definitely a learning experience for me.
Beyond the value of the scientific data Dr. Leatherman collects, the publicity he generates with his annual top ten list helps focus attention on our nation’s beaches and brings greater awareness to the importance of keeping our beaches clean and healthy.
The value of my work is in helping folks choose the right beach for their needs, and to educate people about beaches and nature.
See you at the beach!
