Mississippi and Alabama Coastal Cleanup programs remove 23.75 tons of marine debris
Relevance:
Litter is an issue that impairs the environment, stormwater infrastructure, tourism and industry along coastlines.
Response:
In 2016, a Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-funded extension specialist took over coordination and training duties for the long-running Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Program with the mission of preventing and removing litter from the coastal environment through education, outreach, research and cleanup events. In 2018, a Sea Grant extension specialist began co-coordinating the Alabama Coastal Cleanup Program.
Results:
Sea Grant organized or facilitated 12 cleanup events. The events attracted 8,200 volunteers who contributed 24,600 volunteer hours and removed 23.75 tons of litter, which carries a conservative ecosystem service impact of $78,375. Volunteers also collected data on the types of litter to identify sources and design targeted prevention methods, a value that exceeded $607,374. The program also conducted formal and informal education events and published eight outreach publications focused on marine debris.
Recap:
The Mississippi and Alabama Coastal Cleanup programs, coordinated or co-coordinated by a Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant extension specialist, removed over 23.75 tons of litter from the coastal environment while educating more than 8,200 volunteers interested in preventing litter from reaching coastal waterbodies. (2018)
Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program research leads to actions that promote ecological conservation of rare turtle
Relevance:
Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant promotes environmental conservation and literacy. The Pearl River is part of the Gulf of Mexico’s greater ecosystem. Improving part of an ecosystem helps to improve the whole ecosystem. Thus, bringing public awareness to contamination in the river to help the Pearl River map turtle leads to coastal conservation benefits and improves environmental literacy.
Response:
A Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant legal specialist published an article addressing how habitat loss impacts a rare species in Mississippi, Small Critter, Big Problem: Protecting the Pearl River Map Turtle in Mississippi [https://www.eli.org/sites/default/files/elr/featuredarticles/48.10200.pdf] in the March 2018 edition of the Environmental Law Reporter. The article explains the importance of the Endangered Species Act in addressing habitat protection on a species level to call attention to ecosystem conservation.
Results:
The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program article increased awareness about the Pearl River map turtle’s risk of extinction due to habitat loss, and third parties took action. After the article’s publication, the Center for Biological Diversity revised its Endangered Species Act action by specifically including the Pearl River map turtle for protection. Mary Beth Magee wrote and published a children’s book, “Pearl’s Pool: A Pearl the Turtle Story,” after reading the article.
Recap:
A Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium legal specialist’s article about the risk of extinction for the Pearl River map turtle in Mississippi led the Center for Biological Diversity to file notice to sue to protect the turtle under the Endangered Species Act. (2018)
MASGC supports graduate students to develop workforce
Relevance:
Graduate education is a significant component of Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium’s annual budget. Graduates go on to land jobs in such places as academia, industry and environmental non-profit organizations.
Response:
One master’s degree and two Juris Doctorate degrees were awarded to Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-supported students. Based on literature values, the value of a master’s degree is valued $584,881, and a Ph.D. is valued at $1,315,982 over the course of a 30-year career.
Results:
The economic impact of graduate education was $3.2M. This value is based on a 30-year career and therefore will only be reported one time. This impact considers the value of a J.D. to be equivalent to a Ph.D.
Recap:
Three Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-supported students graduated with higher degrees, and this graduate education is valued at $3.2M. (2018)
