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Times Staff WriterThis year Fort DeSoto Park and Caladesi Island made the annual list.
Two Pinellas beaches again have scored highly on Dr. Beach's list of America's Best Beaches, scheduled for release today.
The list is compiled annually by Stephen Leatherman, a Florida International University professor who calls himself "Dr. Beach."
Fort DeSoto Park, which was ranked No. 4 last year, moved to No. 2 on this year's list. Caladesi Island remained at No. 5 for the second consecutive year.
Leatherman is director of the International Hurricane Center and Laboratory for Coastal Research at FIU in Miami. He has compiled his annual list for the past 13 years, always releasing it Memorial Day weekend.
If Fort DeSoto continues to move up, its days on Dr. Beach's list might be numbered. Each year, he retires his No. 1 beach from the competition.
This year's list is:
1. Kaanapali, Hawaii
2. Fort DeSoto Park
3. Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
4. Hanalei Bay, Hawaii
5. Caladesi Island State Park
6. Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
7. Makalawena Beach, Hawaii
8. Hanauma Bay, Hawaii
9. Cape Florida State Recreational Area
10. Cape Hatteras, North Carolina