Huntington Beach,
Lake Erie
Coast-to-Coast: Comparing Ohio’s Shore
& Culture to Eastern Australia’s
Kati Marie McArdle
Michigan State University
August 2011
Manly Beach,
Sydney
I) Introduction
COAST-TO-COAST
Many have spent hours of their lives staring across water. Be it a lake,
ocean, pond, or river, bodies of water and their surroundings have captured
humankind’s attention. However, these ponderous hours do not fully address
the extent to which human activity has damaged these coastal environments.
Human activity, especially sea/lakeside development, has caused pollution,
eutrophication of waters, endangerment of aquatic species, and alteration of the
very makeup of the water.
In this investigation, the coastal cultures—social attitudes, awareness
and concern, and economic functions—of Eastern Australia’s and Northern
Ohio’s shorelines and coastal cultures are examined and compared. Doing so
asks the question, how do attitudes towards the Pacific Ocean in Australia
compare with those towards Lake Erie in Ohio, and what do these attitudes
reveal about the state of progress towards healthy aquatic and coastal
environments?
Key Terms and Locations
Cultural Eutrophication: the excessive increase of a lake’s nutrients due to
human activity (McGucken, pp. 2).
Pollution: any combination of harmful chemicals, refuse, nutrients, sewage, and
the like that end up in waterways.
Climate Change: long-term alterations in global weather patterns, such as
increases in temperature and storm activity, commonly regarded as a possible
consequence of the greenhouse effect.
Ethos, Pathos, and Logos: Rhetorical means of persuasion, as described by
Aristotle, which appeal to credibility (ethics), emotion, and logic, respectively.
Huntington Beach: a reserve of the Cleveland Metroparks, located in Bay Village,
OH, west of Cleveland.
Lake Erie: the second smallest lake (by surface area), and smallest and
shallowest (by volume of water), of the five Great Lakes.
Ocean Acidification: the centuries-long decrease in the oceans’ pH levels, caused
by their absorption of atmospheric, human-induced carbon dioxide.
Threatened Species: a variety of plant or animal that is susceptible to extinction
in the future. Includes threatened, endangered, and critically endangered
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categories. Australian marine threatened species include the Australian sea
lion, dugong, and the Macquarie perch. Those in Lake Erie include several
species of mussels, the lakeside daisy, and, until recently, the Lake Erie water
snake.
Southern Ocean: a circular stretch of water located between Australia and the
Antarctic, it is the second smallest of the geographic oceans, covering 8 million
square miles (Rose, 2008).
II) Secondary Research
A range of experts has weighed in on the current states and ongoing
problems of both the Pacific Coast of Australia and Lake Erie. These scientists
have considered the impacts that humans have had on water sources, and how
these changes are detrimental to the productivity of the water, ecologically as
well as economically speaking. On both sides of the ocean, research has been
conducted and results published to identify the problems experienced by major
bodies of water, and to recognize the importance of addressing those issues.
Many have voiced the critical need for community education, and some
organizations have implemented educational strategies into their work.
In Oceans, the authors illustrate the key role of the Southern Ocean in
climate change:
The cold waters provide rich nutrients for huge numbers of plankton
and algae, which absorb carbon dioxide. The Southern
biggest carbon sink in the world…Parts of [it] are
a half times faster than anywhere
Ocean is the
warming up over two and
else…(pp.180)
Fortunately, many Australian entities are on the same page as these
scientists, and offer advice and resources for free to the public. SA Water’s
website, www.sawater.com.au/SAWater/Education/, provides information and
links in a user-friendly format for citizens concerned about water quality and
usage. Similarly, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s web domain,
www.gbrmpa.gov.au/outlook-for-the-reef, includes condensed, readable
summaries of many of the problems facing the ocean—from climate change to
loss of coastal habitats—and therefore the reef system.
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Lake Erie, despite that it is a fraction of the size of the Southern Ocean,
has also garnered a sizable fan base, in the form of committed, concerned
individuals and groups, over the past few decades. In Erie, the Lake That
Survived, author Burns identifies seven problems that require serious attention:
1. Soil loss from land, leading to siltation of streams, harbors, marshes, and
spawning reefs.
2. Loss of shoreline marshes.
3. Destruction of fisheries of certain species.
4. Entrance of pathogenic bacteria and refuse into the lake.
5. Excessive loading of phosphorous to the lake, causing severe eutrophication.
6. Loading of a vast array of toxic materials into Lake Erie.
7. Killing and removal of large amounts of fish from the lake ecosystem, due to
water passage through electrical generating stations, industrial intakes, and
municipal water works (pp. 251-252).
Burns echoes the research and sentiments of years of research and
observation, much of which can be applied to the rest of the Great Lakes
system. In fact, many, if not all, of these problems need addressing, in their
own forms, in Australia.
III) Methods
Conducting in-country research, as well as observation and study in
Ohio, provided adequate raw data. I employed the following methods of
observation and data collection:

Photography: documenting visits and scenery provided valuable, visual
reference.

Conversations with experts and citizens: The speakers often referenced the
ocean and/or Great Barrier Reef when discussing environmental impacts.
Interaction outside of formal class time with locals also provided insight.

Personal experience at home and abroad: Being in the vicinity of a vast body
of water, be it an ocean or a lake, has a strong effect on me; I seem to
remember time spent there more clearly, and pay more attention to my
surrounding environment. Proximity to water is intriguing, and leaves me in
a contemplative, pensive mood.
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COAST-TO-COAST
IV) Findings
Spending quality time at some of Australia’s and Ohio’s most notorious,
and critical, beaches, and gathering data through other methods has
illuminated some remarkable commonalities of the two locations, as well as
some stark differences. Comparing several factors—the concerns of government,
businesses, and citizens, and the functions of each body of water—is
conclusive, and allows for recommendations to be made.
A significant portion of our program and subsequent conversations
focused on the Great Barrier Reef, clearly an important topic for Australians.
Many organizations, including AIMS, GBRMPA, Passions of Paradise charters,
and James Cook University faculty, expressed a high level of concern for the
current and future state of the reef. From dive excursion companies who wish
to protect their livelihood to schools hoping to educate young students about
the state of the reef, everyone has reason to weigh in. The Great Barrier Reef
represents many interests, and its relevance can be approached using all three
rhetorical appeals. Credible organizations such as AIMS actively endorse
continuing research and protection of the reef. Visitors to the GBR feel a strong
emotional connection to the reef and its inhabitants, and are concerned. The
tourism industries in places like Cairns and Townsville have, logically,
incentives to maintain the health, and desirability, of the reef for their
customers. Thinking of the Great Barrier Reef as an irreplaceable resource
conveys its meaning and importance for these different parties.
When considered as a non-renewable resource, the Australian attitude
towards the reef makes sense in a cultural context. As our study abroad group
learned, many resources such as water are scarce in Australia, so the
population has a strong incentive for conserving their uses of them. The ocean
is no exception: whether it is providing a harvest for the fishing industry, a
draw for visitors and travelers, or a source of raw material for drinking water, it
is widely accepted as something to be careful with. The ocean in Australia,
then, is valued first and foremost for its economic value as a sea of resources,
and secondly as an intrinsically worthy, aesthetically pleasing natural wonder.
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Ohioans also have good reason to take care of our lake and shore. Just
days after the conclusion of the Australia program, the Lake Erie water snake,
found almost exclusively on and around the Lake Erie islands, was down-listed
as ‘threatened’ from its former endangered status. Its initial habitat destruction
and target as a hunted animal, as well as its recent recovery, can both be
attributed to human activity. This is a testament to the concern as well as the
ignorance of coastal dwellers. Many locals recall the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire
that was the result of an oil slick and accumulation of debris. This outrageous
event, which most area schoolchildren have at least heard of, obviously caused
public outcry and spawned a movement to clean up the rivers. Burns admits
that “[t]he rivers, if not inviting, are nevertheless no longer repulsive; most of
the beaches are open and many of them are clean.” (pp. 260) All the same, it is
not uncommon to come across a water quality warning at the top of the stairs
leading to Huntington, especially after a rainstorm. With recreation being a top
use of the lake, the inability to have contact with the water presents a problem.
As the most significant, distinguishing natural feature of Northeast Ohio,
Lake Erie plays a role in everyone’s lives. It is a place where people grew up,
and where they bring their families. I certainly have a personal interest in
advocating for its protection, as does everyone who calls this area home.
V) Implications
Studying the attitudes in Australia and Ohio towards the coastal waters
was a unique lens through which to view these societies. It revealed some of the
consciousness of these areas, and how the residents interact with their aquatic
environments. Most significantly, I learned about the gravity of the threats
facing the oceans and the lakes, and how Western culture can be damaging to
these incredible ecosystems. Despite the physical and geographic differences of
the two areas, both are faced with comparable ongoing hazards that threaten
aquatic species, the success of businesses, and the outdoor culture of the
community.
Fortunately, a variety of approaches have been proposed to deal with the
most serious of the problems facing the waters. Community education is a
powerful tool in instigating changes in attitude and action, as shown by the
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success of some of SA Water’s incentive programs and reimbursements. The
movement towards awareness of environmental issues and implementation of
lifestyle changes is gaining popularity and momentum in Australia and Ohio
could certainly benefit from the same sort of progress.
In response to the research question posed at the beginning, it is evident
that Australia’s east coast and Northeast Ohio have more in common than
meets the eye. Both have growing coastal communities that put pressure on the
shores and waters, and have strong incentives to maintain the health of these
environments. The two societies, however, differ in their overall attitudes.
Australians have a focus on resources, and concern for exploiting the precious
valuables provided by the land and sea. However, the generosity of these
resources is limited, and the growing numbers of coastal residents and visitors
will strain what seems to be the endless mine of the sea.
Likewise, Ohioans have an admiration for Lake Erie and the surrounding
area, if not a more parochial view that is more limited than the Aussies’.
However, Cleveland depends on the lake, and Ohio depends on Cleveland, so
this state of 11.5 million people has good reason to clean up our rivers and
ultimately our lake. Still, there is a sense of frustration, as if Cleveland, ‘the
mistake on the lake,’ and its beaches are already too far-gone to save now. It is
certainly discouraging to walk on the sand, avoiding the tangled mess of
seaweed, plastic, and other debris that accumulates along the tide line. And
images of the Cuyahoga engulfed in flames are still fresh in some minds.
Ohioans lack a sense of ownership and responsibility for Lake Erie, despite the
fact that most area residents are supplied with drinking water from the lake.
Perhaps the problems with the lake have not yet interfered with our lives
enough to merit more than a fleeting thought.
Ask almost anyone in Australia or Ohio about the protection of the
ocean/lake, and they would probably respond that more could be done—by the
government, by businesses, by citizens—to clean up the water. But thoughts
must shape attitudes, and then turn into actions, before steps can be taken. In
Australia’s case, the need for preservation of natural areas from the
encroachment of development is evident. The Sydney Olympic Park is a superb
example of maintaining the integrity of the outdoors while allowing people to
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enjoy and experience it. The amount of development and nautical traffic around
the Great Barrier Reef is unsettling, and could be remedied by conserving, and
limiting access to, certain portions of the reef system.
Ohio also has work to do, and it could start in my hometown of Westlake.
Though not adjacent to beach property, no one in Westlake is more than a 15minute drive away from the lake. The schools, council, and businesses could be
supportive of efforts to protect and revitalize our close neighbor. Most students
have spent time at Huntington, so incorporation of the ecology of the lake into
the public education curriculum would be prudent. The city Service
Department could campaign to increase recycling participation, with the lake as
the largest beneficiary. And the several local restaurants that specialize in
seafood dishes could commit to using only sustainably caught, local fish. The
possibilities are many, and the resources and opportunities are right in front of
us.
Because the vitality of coastal biospheres matters to everyone, action
needs to be taken in every nation, at every level—from the federal Australian
government to the boater from Westlake—to ensure that our waters, regardless
of size, continue to provide revenue, resources, and recreation for all.
Please see my blog that accompanies this project,
http://forgoodnesslakes.wordpress.com/about/
VI) Works Cited
Burns, Noel M (1985). Erie, The Lake that Survived. New Jersey: Rowman
& Allanheld. Print.
Butler, Alan. “Temperate Marine Systems.”
McGucken, William (2000). Lake Erie Rehabilitated. Akron: The University
of Akron Press. Print.
Rose, Paul, and Anne Laking (2008). Oceans. London: BBC Books. Print.
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