" It ’ s this perfect maritime world that stretches on for miles and miles in either direction ."
River . Upon arrival at the coast , tides and currents sent the powdered quartz in every direction — but mostly eastward . As the millennia came and went , a wholly unique coastline formed .
CLARITY
Why are the waters of the Emerald Coast so luminous and clear ? The short answer : The absence of pollution — especially when compared to the coastal waters west of the Mississippi . There are reasons for this . First , Florida is the only Gulf state that doesn ’ t allow offshore drilling , an industry that comes with the accompanying infrastructure of rigs , refiners , and pipelines . The absence of this infrastructure means far less oily sludge finding its way to Florida beaches . A continuing 10-year moratorium , renewed in September of 2020 , is presently in place and enjoys overwhelming support among Floridians , many of whom depend on tourism for their livelihood . In 2019 , Florida welcomed 145.4 million out-of-state visitors who spent $ 98.8 billion , supporting 1.6 million jobs . One of the biggest draws for those visitors is the pristine beaches and coastal waters .
The Emerald Coast also owes a debt of gratitude to the Mississippi River . The river ’ s outflow is situated about 100 miles southeast of New Orleans . It comes rushing through southern Louisiana , heading southeast before making a hard turn to the westsouthwest . It makes this turn just before it spills into the Gulf , sending its cargo of sediment , mud , and runoff away from Florida . There are no major river
THE STORY OF SAND NATURE beachLIFE 35