Dredging

Shore line after the dredging and the storm 

Dredging is the process when sand is pumped from the ocean floor, and spread out on the beach usually to increase its size. While this may give beach goers more places to spread out, it can be (and often is) detrimental to the local marine life. The animals that get sucked into the pump can die. In addition, the animals that live off the shore can become buried, and their habitat destroyed. Our beautiful beach has been the recent victim of dredging. Sand dollars have been crushed and left to die on the beach after being sucked in with the sand. The dredging has also threatened to cover the amazing reef that the local jetty provides. If it becomes covered, thousands of animals will either die, or lose their home. The people doing the dredging also haul all of their heavy, loud machinery out on the beach where it blocks people's paths and scares away the seabirds. In addition to the noise pollution created, the workers have also left a lot of their own trash on the beach. After a week of the dredging process, a large storm came through Friday night and washed most of the sand away, leaving a cliff of sand on the shoreline. If you want to learn more about dredging, please read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_nourishment

Two sand dollars killed by the dredging pump 

Machinery and gear left by the workers

Bulldozer left by workers (the sand it is parked on is covering some rocks) 

Pipes used for the dredging left on the beach 

More machinery and gear left by the workers

The workers left buckets of oil or tar on the beach 

Cable ties disposed of on the beach which can injure marine life

Pipe used for dredging lying on the jetty