Year: 2023
Relevance
Relevance:
Litter is an issue that impairs the environment, stormwater infrastructure, tourism and industry along coastlines. A Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-funded extension specialist led 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 58 cleanup events.
Results
The 2023 cleanup events attracted 2,285 volunteers who contributed 6,855 volunteer hours and removed 8.2 tons of litter, which carries a conservative annual ecosystem service impact of $148,494. Volunteers also collected data on the types of litter to identify sources and design targeted prevention methods, a value that exceeded $217,989.
Recap
The Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Program, coordinated by a Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant extension specialist, removed over 8.2 tons of litter from the coastal environment while educating more than 2,285 youth and adult volunteers about marine debris. (2023)