Coastal Cleanup Program

Challenges

• Marine debris negatively affects the coastal ecosystem as well as coastal residents and the economy.
• Litter can kill wildlife when they ingest it or become entrapped by or wrapped in the debris.
• Humans can be harmed by debris when they ingest plastics via seafood or when they encounter sharp objects in the coastal environment.
• Dirty beaches have been proven to negatively affect coastal tourism, the region’s largest employer.
• One of the most pervasive sources of marine litter is single-use plastics.

Extension Response

The Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Program began in 2018 as a collaboration between the Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant to remove debris from the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

• The program addresses the issue by removing debris from beaches, waterways, wetlands, and roads in coastal Mississippi.
• Since 2018, 14,557 Coastal Cleanup Program volunteers contributed over 46,000 hours to remove 131 tons of debris in 235 events.
• In 2024, 1,816 volunteers contributed 5,448 hours of service to remove 4.5 tons of debris in 42 events.
• In addition, volunteers collected data on the specific types of litter removed. This data helps researchers identify sources of marine debris and design targeted prevention methods.
• In 2024, the program had eight corporate and agency sponsors that contributed $25,000. Additionally, $886,503 in extramural grants and contracts supported the program.

Economic Impacts

• Volunteers are not paid, but the time they spend has an economic value, and they incur expenditures while fulfilling their roles. Volunteer hours are valued at an estimated $147,150, and the ecosystem service impact is estimated to be $81,131.
• Direct effects (including donations, grants, and contracts) could support an estimated 15 jobs earning $775,716, $1.1 million in value-added, and $1.4 million in total output for the three-county Mississippi Gulf Coast area.
• The program could generate an estimated $3,655 in municipal taxes, $8,571 in local special district (e.g., school district) taxes, and $6,280 in county government taxes, for a total of $18,506 in local taxes.
• The program also could generate estimated state taxes of $41,504 and federal taxes of $178,559.

M2480-15 (10-25)

Eric Sparks, PhD, Associate Professor, Coastal Research and Extension Center, and Director, Coastal and Marine Extension Program