Year: 2021
Project(s):
Relevance
Litter is an issue that impairs the environment, stormwater infrastructure, tourism and industry along coastlines. A Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-funded extension specialist leads the 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.
Response
The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-supported Mississippi Coastal Cleanup organized or facilitated 32 cleanup events during 2021.
Results
The 2021 cleanup events attracted 1,650 volunteers who contributed 4,950 volunteer hours and removed 7.1 tons of litter, which carries a conservative ecosystem service impact of $23,430. Volunteers also collected data on the types of litter to identify sources and design targeted prevention methods, a value that exceeded $142,236.
Recap
The Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Program, coordinated by a Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant extension specialist, removed over 7.1 tons of litter from the coastal environment while educating more than 1,650 youth and adult volunteers about marine debris. (2021)