Beaches in Massachusetts, California, Michigan, New York and Florida are closing or on the verge of being closed due to unsafe conditions for swimming. Several types of unhealthy bacteria have been found at beaches across the country, plus there is a seeming rise in shark attack risk. Beach closures are likely going to continue as climate change intensifies.
Why are beaches closing?
Swimming in the ocean this summer may be risky, as beaches in several states have closed after being deemed unsafe. “Germs found in the water and sand often come from human or animal feces (poop),” and “one way germs can be carried into swim areas is by heavy rain,” said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Water contaminated with these germs can make you sick if you swallow it.”
A handful of beaches in California, Michigan and Massachusetts had enterococci in the water, which “commonly cause urinary tract infections, and can also cause blood infections and endocarditis, an inflammation of the lining of the heart’s valves and chambers,” said ABC News. Two Massachusetts beaches were found to contain cyanobacteria, which if ingested can cause “symptoms including headaches, stomach pain, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea,” as well as “irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, throat and lungs.” Other beaches contained E.coli, which can cause gastrointestinal issues.
Beaches in Florida and California have additionally had an increase in shark sightings and even some attacks that caused closures.
What can be done?
Even beaches that have not been closed can pose a risk. The CDC recommends avoiding bodies of water that look cloudier than usual or have drainage pipes entering into them. It is also recommended to avoid swimming if you are suffering from an illness or have an open cut or wound. “Heavy rains after long periods of drought can pick up animal or human excrement, which can then be carried by runoff into nearby bodies of water, including oceans,” said ABC News. “Heavy rains can also cause sewage systems to overflow, causing untreated sewage to likewise contaminate bodies of water.”
Climate change may lead to more beach closures in the future. “Bacteria like warmer waters, and climate change is increasing the average temperature of water bodies,” said Boston.com. Further, “climate change causes more extreme weather events,” which means “when it rains, we get more rain all at once.”
Microorganisms are not the only ones who thrive in warmer water. Sharks have also been able to spread out in the warming oceans. “One of the consequences of a changing climate is that it gets warmer further north, so areas that were not habitable to the animal now are,” Yannis P. Papastamatiou, an associate professor at Florida International University’s Predator Ecology and Conservation lab, said to Newsweek. “So far, the northerly expansion has been seen in juvenile white sharks.”