State of the Beach/Beach Indicators/Website
From Beachapedia
| Home | Beach Indicators | Methodology | Findings | Beach Manifesto | State Reports | Chapters | Perspectives | Model Programs | Bad and Rad | Conclusion |
As the use of computers, mobile devices and the Internet expands, websites are increasingly becoming an excellent tool for the publication of and access to information. The Internet provides an enormous wealth of data and can also be a great educational resource for the general public. As long as one has access to a computer or mobile device and the Internet, the public can "surf" the websites for information on beaches. Many state coastal management agencies are utilizing the Internet to provide important information on the health of our nation's beaches as well as coastal zone management goals, policies, and programs.
To evaluate the quality of state coastal management websites, the report uses the following three criteria:
- Ease of Use
- Difficult navigational design can render a website ineffective. This can act as a deterrent for people looking to obtain information on the Internet because it is just too difficult to find the information. In order to provide effective information access, the website should present information in a clear, simple format and in a way that is easy to navigate. We evaluated each website on the ease of use and the ability to find important information.
-
- Content
- The content criterion examines the amount of relevant information on the beach health indicators that can be found on the website. Surfrider believes that coastal management programs should provide information on the beach health indicators on their website, or should provide links to other websites with the information.
-
- Current Information
- In order to provide current and relevant information, websites should be updated when there is new information or changes in information. Any changes or new information should be promptly posted on the website.
State Website Reports
Select a state from the list below to view the Website indicator page for that state: