Kaanapali Beach, Hawaii, Tops 13th-Annual
‘America’s Best Beaches’ List
Beach Guru Releases Safety Guide

MIAMI, Fla. (May 23, 2003)— Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, the nation’s foremost coastal expert and director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research, kicked off Memorial Day weekend and the beginning of beach season today by announcing his 13th-annual “America’s Best Beaches” List.

Along with the rankings, Leatherman, a.k.a. Dr. Beach, is releasing his new book “Dr. Beach’s Survival Guide,” a complete beach safety guide that reveals what you need to know about sharks, rip currents and more before going in the water.

“ I hope Americans will visit these special beaches and stay safe by reading my beach safety guide. The guide is so compact vacationers can pack it in their beach bag along with their sunscreen,” said Leatherman.

This year’s national winner is Kaanapali Beach in Hawaii. Over 3 miles long, it is located on the dry, sunny side of Maui. White coral sand bathed by clear, emerald green water is just one of the factors that contributed to Kaanapali Beach’s #1 ranking. In addition, the number one beach maintains a critical balance between nature and the built environment.

Kaanapali is one of four Hawaiian beaches to make the 10-entry list this year and the seventh Hawaiian beach to top the list in the past eight years. Other Hawaiian Beaches that made the list are Hanalei Bay (No. 4), Makalawena Beach (No. 7) and Hanauma Bay (No. 8). Beaches in Florida, North Carolina and New York also made this year’s list.

The beaches are evaluated based on Leatherman’s 50 criteria, which he developed strictly for the purpose of rating America’s Best Beaches 13 years ago. Among the factors that make up the criteria are sand quality, water quality, water temperature, and litter. In order to see a complete list of Dr. Leatherman’s criteria, log on to http://www.drbeach.org/drbeach/

Dr. Beach personally visits these beaches and confers with a vast network of naturalists, park rangers, and scientists around the nation when coming to his decision.

Leatherman holds a Ph.D. in Environmental (Coastal) Sciences from the University of Virginia and a B.S. degree in Geosciences from North Carolina State University.

In addition to “America’s Best Beaches,” he has authored or edited 15 books.

Images of “America’s Best Beaches” can be downloaded at http://news.fiu.edu/downloads.htm.

Founded in 1965, FIU is now one of America’s leading universities in environmental studies and research. Current projects include laser mapping of coastal areas in Southeast Florida and a federally funded study of how best to preserve the Everglades.