A Hamptons beach is among the best in the country, according an annual top 10 list compiled by a coastal science professor who goes by "Dr. Beach."
Coopers Beach, in Southampton, was named the No. 8 beach destination in the country by Stephen Leatherman, a Florida International University professor who compiles yearly rankings of the nation's best beaches.
In this year's ranking, Leatherman lauded the shore for its grainy white quartz sand and hundreds-of-yards wide beaches. He commended the large sand dunes and the extravagant mansions that sit just behind them.
"Some of the best beach access in the Hamptons exists on Cooper Beach," he wrote.
It's not the first time Coopers Beach has been featured in Leatherman's ranking; he named the shoreline the best in the nation in 2010, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
The top beach in Leatherman's ranking was Hanauma Bay, a picturesque nature reserve with gin-clear, turquoise water and abundant sea life, in Hawaii. It's the second year in a row that the beach has claimed the top spot.
Hanauma is followed by Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florida; Kapalua Bay Beach in Maui, Hawaii; Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach on the Outer Banks of North Carolina; Coast Guard Beach on Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Grayton Beach State Park in Florida; and Coronado Beach in San Diego.
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Caladesi Island State Park in Clearwater, Florida; and Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island, near Charleston, South Carolina, came in after Coopers Beach.
