Page 12 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2020

COAST NOTE
MISSISSIPPI COASTAL
CLEANUP PROGRAM
story by Jessi James, Mandy Sartain and Eric Sparks photos courtesy of the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Program
Almost everyone can agree that litter is a problem that causes environmental issues, hinders
tourism, and costs a signi cant
amount of time and money to address. Unfortunately, this issue isn’t going away anytime soon and litter that gets washed into waterways will eventually make its way to the coast, where it’s then called marine debris. Fortunately, litter is easy to remove or prevent on an individual basis. Reducing the use of single-use items and participating in cleanup events are some of the more common choices individuals can make to reduce their litter footprint. In an e ort to promote the prevention and reduction of litter, Mississippi State University, the Mississippi-Alabama
Sea Grant Consortium, and numerous partners and sponsors work together to
operate the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Program (MSCCP). The mission of the MSCCP is preventing and removing litter from the coastal environment through education, outreach, research, and cleanup events.
During cleanup events, thousands of citizen scientists collect marine debris data that is then used to inform decision making and the development of outreach programs. In 2019 alone, over 8,500 citizen scientists removed and categorized over 17.8 tons of marine debris from coastal Mississippi, with over 77 percent of it being plastic. The large annual events include the July 5 Star-Spangled cleanup and the Annual October cleanup with smaller events occurring throughout the year.
Due to COVID-19, the October
cleanup will run an entire month and feature more of a “self-service” approach where volunteers can reserve and pickup bins of supplies for small cleanup
groups throughout Coastal Mississippi. Additionally, in early 2021, the MSCCP will be expanding inland to facilitate litter-based education, prevention, and cleanup events. This new program is termed the Mississippi Inland Cleanup Program (MSICP) and will hopefully help prevent or remove litter before it reaches the coast.
If you are interested in learning more about these cleanup programs, would like some educational programming, or wish to volunteer for an event, visit: www. coastalcleanup.extension.msstate.edu for more information.
Sponsored by Clean Gulf Associates
This story is part of the Embrace the Gulf 2020 campaign, which aims to highlight the value and vitality of the Gulf Coast Region through daily posts. Join the movement by following the Alliance on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
12 | October 2020
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living