The best beaches for 2005, according to rankings compiled by Stephen P. Leatherman, a top coastal expert and a professor at Florida International University in Miami, known by the nickname "Dr. Beach.''

1. Fort De Soto Park - North Beach, south Pinellas County

2. Ocracoke Island, Outer Banks, N.C.

3. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii

4. Caladesi Island State Park, north Pinellas County

5. Fleming Beach, Maui, Hawaii

6. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.

7. Coronado Beach, San Diego, Calif.

8. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne

9. Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.

10. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii

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