Credit: Joel Davenport/NY and NJ Sea Grant Programs.
— By Juliet Kaszas-Hoch; Published in The SandPaper
(the newsmagazine of New Jersey's Long Beach Island and Southern Ocean County)
Ocean County, NJ, July 29, 2020 - New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, along with New York Sea Grant, is encouraging people to enjoy the BEach SAFEly, and has recently launched a campaign that focuses on both COVID-19 precautions and ocean hazards of which beachgoers should be aware. NJSGC, founded in 1969 as the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium, is an affiliation of colleges, universities and other groups dedicated to advancing knowledge and stewardship of the state’s marine and coastal environment.
The campaign’s first initiative—Stay Social, Be Distant—was announced on July 16. “This summer, the beaches are open and you should enjoy them. Just remember that you still need to practice social distancing – embrace your personal space,” the organizations note. “Stay at least six feet apart from other beachgoers that you didn’t come with; this is about the average length of a surfboard, two boogie boards, a bit more than an beach towel’s length or three beach chairs.
“When you’re walking around the beach, to and from the parking lot or other facilities, or if you can’t stay more than six feet apart from others, remember to wear your mask,” the groups add. “Frequently wash or sanitize your hands, and, if you feel sick, stay home.”
The second week of the initiative, meanwhile, focuses on rip current awareness. As NJSGC and NYSG explain, “Rip currents are one of the deadliest beach hazards. They occur as ocean water moves swiftly away from the shore.
“If caught in a rip, remain calm,” the organizations advise. “Wave or call for help; flip onto your back and float, rather than fighting against the current; and follow it as it takes you to calmer waters where it dissipates and you can swim safely to shore.”
And, if someone else is in danger, “do not try to save them yourselves; rather, maintain visual contact with the victim and send another beachgoer to get help, or call 911.”
The campaign’s third week topic will be released soon, followed by weeks four through nine.
Visit www.njseagrant.org or www.nyseagrant.org/beachsafely to learn more.
More Info: New York Sea Grant
New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University
and the State University of New York (SUNY), is one of 34 university-based
programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Sea Grant College Program.
Since 1971, NYSG has represented a statewide network of integrated
research, education and extension services promoting coastal community
economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness
and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.
Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists
and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based
information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries,
federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers,
educators, the media and the interested public.
The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, University at Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office
in Newark. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook
University in Long Island, Brooklyn College and Cornell Cooperative
Extension in NYC and Kingston in the Hudson Valley.
For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube links. NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published quarterly. Our program also produces an occasional e-newsletter,"NOAA Sea Grant's Social Media Review," via its blog, www.nyseagrant.org/blog.
