Hawaii’s Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve has been declared America’s best beach 2016.

In the 26th edition of Dr. Beach’s Top 10 Beach List, the marine protected area enclosed in a breached volcano, was chosen for its white sand coral beach and responsible management.

Located on the eastern end of Oahu, the beach — which is renowned for the quality of its snorkeling and rainbow-colored tropical fish — is closed off once a week to give the marine life a chance to rest.

The Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve became the first non-smoking beach in Hawaii, leading the charge towards a no-smoking ban that now extends to all beaches on the island.

The beach is also staffed by lifeguards.

Prepared by Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, a professor at Florida International University, the annual report is based on 50 criteria. Beaches are evaluated on everything from water and sand quality, safety and management to water temperature, the number of sunny days, slope, amenities and water color.

It’s the second year in a row that a beach in Hawaii has taken the top spot.

Rounding out the top three spots are Siesta Beach, Sarasota, FL, and Kapalua Bay Beach in Maui, HI.

Leatherman is a coastal scientist who has published 20 books on storm impacts, coastal erosion and beach management.

Here are the top 10 best beaches in the US according to Dr. Beach:

1. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu, Hawaii
2. Siesta Beach Sarasota, Florida
3. Kapalua Bay Beach, Maui, Hawaii
4. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks of North Carolina
5. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
6. Grayton Beach State Park, Florida Panhandle
7. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
8. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
9. Caladesi Island State Park Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
10. Beachwalker Park Kiawah Island, South Carolina

– AFP