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3. What are beach advisories and beach closures?

**What are beach advisories and beach closures?**  Beach advisories and beach closures occur when **water testing** reveals the presence of one or more **contaminants** that exceed healthy standards. Coastal areas within the National Park Service's Golden Gate National Recreational Area in San Francisco Bay, California, were closed to visitors during the Cosco Busan oil spill in 2007*During a beach closure, water conditions are deemed unsafe for swimmers and other users. A beach advisory leaves it up to users as to whether they wish to risk going into the water. Shown here: Coastal areas within the National Park Service's Golden Gate National Recreational Area in San Francisco Bay, California, were closed to visitors during the Cosco Busan oil spill in 2007.* A beach advisory leaves it up to users as to whether they wish to risk going into the water. In the case of a beach closure, the state and/or local government decides that water conditions are unsafe for swimmers and other users. How can beach-goers avoid the disappointment of arriving at their summer vacation destination only to find that authorities advise them not to swim there or that the beaches are closed altogether? Unfortunately, there is no central database that provides information on beach closures and advisories in real time. The best way to find information on the current water quality of a particular beach is to plan ahead. In some cases, warning signs will be posted to alert people of the potential risk of illness from contact with the water. Signs may be placed for short-term problems or more permanent ones, when, for example, repeated monitoring indicates ongoing contamination. Common culprits leading to beach closures and advisories Common culprits leading to beach  closures and advisories include excessive rainwater that carries pollution from  storm drains (like motor oil, pet waste, pesticides, trash, and pathogens) to  recreational waters; “red tides” and other harmful algal blooms; and sewage and chemical  spills from known sources. It is generally wise to avoid swimming after heavy  rains or if the water is an unusual color without first checking with local or  state health authorities. In  the Gulf of Mexico, NOAA's Harmful Algal Bloom Operational Forecast System  identifies potentially harmful blooms of the toxic alga *Karenia brevis*, where the blooms are, how big they are, and where  they are likely to go.  The toxins  produced by the algae become airborne when waves break along the beach during a  bloom, causing eye, throat, and nose irritation in most beach-goers, but more  severe reactions in people with asthma and other respiratory issues. Forecasts  are distributed through conditions reports and bulletins. Conditions reports,  which include forecasts of potential levels of respiratory irritation  associated with blooms of the alga *K. brevis* in the near-term, are posted twice a week after confirmation of a HAB, and  once weekly during the inactive HAB season. Additional bloom analysis is included in harmful algal bloom bulletins that are emailed to a subscriber list of state and  local coastal resource managers, public health officials, and researchers. In  many cases, NOAA's harmful algal bloom data contribute to authorities’ decision to post a beach  closure or advisory.
 **Did you know?** *The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal  Health (BEACH) Act addresses contaminants in coastal recreational  waters. The BEACH Act set national water quality monitoring and reporting  standards, creating uniformity throughout the nation that did not exist prior  to its passage. States, tribes, territories, and local governments  decide whether to close or reopen a beach, and are required to report the  information to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.*
   More **Information** Ten Dangers at the Beach What is a red tide? What is the biggest source of pollution in the ocean?   Get **Social** Social
  **Last updated:** 07/06/23 **Author:** NOAA How to cite this article Contact Us


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