Lizards choking to death on condoms and trampled vegetation are just some of the hazards that rampant sex on Spain’s Canary Island beaches has caused. Researchers pinpointed 298 “sex spots” on the island’s famous Maspalomas nature reserve sand dunes that have attracted “cruisers” who know they can meet up for anonymous encounters. A study published in the Journal of Environmental Management called “Sand, Sun, Sea and Sex with Strangers” explains the danger. “The direct impacts generated around the sex spots can be observed in several ways, such as the impacts on the vegetation, the abandonment of waste or the presence of urinal and defecation locations,” the study said. “The most representative (in proportional order) are cigarette butts, torn/cut vegetation, toilet paper and wipes, condoms, fruit peel, cans and feces.”

The popularity of cruising by the gay and straight community has added to the problem as those in search of anonymous encounters know they can likely find one in the dunes. The authors make it clear they are not condemning random sex, but warns they must be careful—and they aren’t talking about safe sex. “We’re not calling for an end to public sex,” the authors write. “But we do want people to be aware of the damage it can do.”