Stephen Leatherman

Stephen Parker Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach, (born November 6, 1947) is an American geoscientist, coastal ecologist, and author. He was the first director of the International Hurricane Research Center at Florida International University (FIU), from 1997 to 2009. He then became professor and co-director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at FIU.

His annual Top 10 Beaches list receives attention in the news media. His selection of Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florida, as an example, accounted for more than 425 million downloads in 2011 according to the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau. Leatherman has also appeared on hundreds of TV news and other shows to discuss his research on beach quality evaluations, coastal storm impacts, beach erosion, and sea level rise and coastal impacts. To the public, he is best known for his annual rankings of American beaches, thus earning him the nickname of "Dr. Beach".

Leatherman earned his Ph.D. in environmental (coastal) sciences from the University of Virginia in 1976 and a B.S. degree in geosciences from North Carolina State University in 1970. He served in the United States Army from 1970 to 1972.

Leatherman is known for his annual ratings of the top beaches in the United States; his #1 beach for 2012 was Coronado Beach in San Diego, California. Once a beach is awarded the top ranking, Leatherman "retires" it from any further consideration as a National Winner.

The list, which Leatherman has released each Memorial Day weekend since 1991, is based on 50 criteria. Some of the tools used to evaluate a beach in the field include: dye ball water tracer for measuring currents such as longshore and especially dangerous rip and tidal currents, Secchi disk for measuring water clarity and visibility, a Brunton compass/clinometer to determine beach slope, field sieve set to determine sand grain size, and a hand lens for mineralogical identification. He takes a dip in the water to identify any holes or rocks on the beach face because his rankings are for swimming beaches. Prior to visiting a beach, he checks EPA water quality data and safety records, especially regarding drowning.

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