MNN - Mother Nature Network

On those hot, summer days, few things are better than taking a trip to the beach, inhaling that salt air and swimming in the ocean — unless the beach is polluted.

 

 

We read an article on Forbes.com that beach closures are fairly common and are occurring more frequently, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council:

 

 

Although people can’t eliminate all of the pollution themselves, there are some actions we can take to improve the problem:

 

 

It’s sound advice, considering the fact that many beachgoers have reported stomach problems, skin rashes, pink eye and ear and respiratory infections. Other people may also feel ill from contaminants at the beach, but don’t visit their doctor or associate the problem with the seashore environment.

 

And if it’s that bad for people, we can only speculate about how marine creatures must feel (since we’re pretty sure they don’t visit their doctor, either.)