FAIRHOPE, Ala. - The Surfrider Foundation has extended an invitation to volunteers in the area to participate in their second phase of water and sand testing for oil along Gulf beaches since last year’s oil spill.

The second phase consists of digging three trenches along beaches on April 10 in Pensacola and South Walton County and taking core samples of the sand to submit for results, according to the nonprofit group’s news release.

“Based on our initial results we are seeing heavy settling of oil in our beaches that are not being cleaned up but rather just grinded into place,” the news release stated.

The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit environmental group dedicated to protection of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches, according to the release.

For more information, visit the group’s website at www.surfrideremeraldcoast.org or contact Mike Sturdivant at 850-225-1747 or emeraldcoast@surfrider.org.