Oil Spill Keeps Fla. Panhandle Beaches Off List

Possibility of tar balls knocks popular beaches from annual survey

Tar balls are not a favorite among beach-goers. And with the oil slick creeping closer to shore along parts of the Gulf coast, there's a chance the gunk could become a reality along Florida's Panhandle. And already this tar-ball effect has bumped the Panhandle beaches off this year's Top 10 Best Beaches list.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Best Beaches list, put together by Stephen Leatherman of the Laboratory for Coastal Research, International Hurricane Research Center, which is part of Florida International University in Miami.

"The Panhandle beaches are some of the most gorgeous beaches in the world," Leatherman told LiveScience. "But because they are so close to the oil spill, I couldn't take the chance to put them on the list this year."

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