Editor, Daily Nexus:

The Shoreline Preservation Fund would like to thank the Daily Nexus for publishing the Oct. 30 article “Ocean Monitors Suggest Locals Stay Out of Water.” In publishing the article, the Nexus is doing a great service to the student community by informing them of the threats of exposure to pollutants or pathogens while swimming in the ocean. Exposure to water that tests for bacterial levels exceeding state standards has many potentially serious consequences that all beach users should be informed about. These include skin rashes, respiratory illness, gastrointestinal illness, hepatitis A and sinus and ear infections. We are pleased that the Daily Nexus published the article; however, it is critical that students have routine access to this type of information. Access to current results on contamination levels of indicator bacteria at our campus beaches allows people to make informed decisions before going into the water and may help to avoid serious health risks.

The Shoreline Preservation Fund is currently funding water quality monitoring at UCSB campus beaches. The monitoring program provides weekly data on contamination levels that could be made easily accessible to all students in the Daily Nexus every week. However, up until publishing the aforementioned article, the Nexus has ignored this important data and continues to refuse to publish these results on a regular basis. The board members of the Shoreline Preservation Fund feel that the Daily Nexus, being the student’s newspaper, has an obligation to publish this data and is doing a disservice to the student body by ignoring it, especially given the high proportion of people who enjoy the ocean at this campus.

The Shoreline Preservation Fund is also currently working with Isla Vista Surfrider Foundation to post signs at beach access points whenever pollution standards are exceeded; however, the most effective means of distributing this information to students is through the Daily Nexus. Please contact them to share your opinion on this issue. You may also contact the I. V. Surfrider at 968-0294 or at to find out how to get involved with sign posting and other water quality issues.

BOARD OF THE SHORELINE PRESERVATION FUND