Stephen Parker Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach, is an American geoscientist, coastal ecologist, and author. He was the first director of the International Hurricane Research Center at Florida International University, 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 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.
Past national winners
Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
Organized and chaired 1st International Rip Current Symposium.
Developed full-scale hurricane simulator termed the "Wall of Wind" as Director of the International Hurricane Research Center
Helped improve understanding of the relationship between coastal erosion and sea level rise based on historical shoreline change data
Produced documentary film on impacts of global warming and sea level rise on coastal areas; "Vanishing Lands" won three international film awards, including the Golden Eagle
Developed the rating scale for beaches, which forms the basis for his Top 10 Beaches List.
Conducted early case studies of coastal impacts of global warming and sea level rise
Developed computerized mapping technique termed "Metric Mapping" for high accuracy determination of historical shoreline changes and beach erosion rates
Built vertical sand trap for windblown sand—now used worldwide and called the Leatherman sand trap
Conducted first field measurements of storm-generated overwash, which was an integral part of his Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Virginia
Publications
Field Guide To The Water's Edge, National Geographic, Washington, DC, 2012, 335p..
Barrier Island Handbook, Laboratory for Coastal Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, editor, 1979, 101 pp., reprinted 1980; revised and reprinted 1982; revised and reprinted, 1988.
Barrier Islands: From Gulf Of St. Lawrence To Gulf Of Mexico, Academic Press, New York, editor, 1979, 325 pp.
Leatherman testified before U.S. House of Representatives and Senate Committees eleven times on a variety of coastal issues. He also has been an expert witness in lawsuits regarding coastal erosion and beach safety, especially involving rip currents.
