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How Does Honeymoon Island's Water Quality Stack Up?
See where this Dunedin area beach ranks among others around Pinellas County and the rest of the country in water quality, according to one environmental study.
The beach at Honeymoon Island State Park may be popular with locals and tourists, but it's only so-so when it comes to water quality, according to one environmental group.
The Dunedin area beach got middling marks from the Natural Resources Defense Council in its star ratings of 200 popular beaches around the country.
The study, released Wednesday as part of the organization's annual beachwater quality report, looked at two monitoring stations on Coquina in 2012. Coquina Beach North got two stars and Coquina Beach South three stars out of five.
Criteria include "testing more than once a week, notifying the public as soon as tests reveal bacterial levels violating health standards, and posting closings and advisories both online and at the beach," according to the NRDC.
Thirteen beaches received a five-star rating; none were in Florida.
Here's how Pinellas County beaches fared:
- Sand Key: 1 star
- Indian Rocks Beach: 1 star
- Fort De Soto North Beach: 3 stars
- Honeymoon Island Beach: 3 stars
- Madeira Beach: 1 star
- Pass-A-Grille Beach: 3 stars
- Treasure Island Beach: 3 stars
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