Tackling Texas's Trash - Shorelines Cleanup
Our volunteers gearing up to remove tons of marine & coastal trash.
Where Did All This Trash Come From?
Did you know Texas has the most coastal and marine debris per mile of any other U.S. state? Some of this trash comes from other states and even different countries, but a good amount of garbage is just plain local.
This garbage accumulates when people leave trash directly on beaches, but the trash can also travel via storm drains, canals, or rivers to the coast. Trash also results when boaters bring plastic on board without properly securing it.
Marine debris negatively impacts the economy, recreation, and tourism. Visitors and locals want clean, safe, debris-free beaches and waterways. Texans who catch or consume commercially important species, such as blue crabs, sea trout, flounder, and red and black drum, are impacted as these species are often needlessly killed “via “ghost fishing” as they get entangled in plastics, abandoned crab traps, and fishing nets and lines. Boaters can also accidentally hit trash, get a fishing line or net tangled in a propeller, or have a plastic bag block their motor’s water cooling, ruining their outing.
The most visible impacts of plastic debris on the environment are the ingestion, suffocation, and entanglement of hundreds of marine species.
Wildlife, including seabirds, whales, crabs, fish, and turtles, mistake plastic waste for food. Yet, ingesting contaminants that seep from debris can pose toxicological threats.
Plastic marine debris also concentrates hazardous chemicals and can introduce those chemicals into the marine food chain, ultimately to humans.
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Making A Difference in Coastal Health Via Shoreline Clean-Ups
SABP's volunteer-driven efforts over the last four years have removed over 8 tons of marine debris. We have removed over 9,300 plastic drink bottles and 3,500 plastic bags. The data collected by our volunteers indicate that much of the trash is blown off boats and can be significantly reduced.
Our goal is to increase awareness of the problem, educate the public on what can be done, and aid behavioral changes that accomplish that result.
Our Coastal Clean-Up program supports recreation and tourism along the Texas Mid-Coast by removing unsightly garbage. Our work benefits local industries, such as crabbing, shrimping, and oystering, which rely on clean, productive bays and restored habitats that support important marine species.
During our coastal cleanup, we use detailed data collection sheets to collect valuable data about the types of trash recovered and their location. This information helps identify trash hot spots and the main types of trash found to inform future efforts. It is also valuable in guiding policymakers and educating the greater public to address ways our residents, businesses, policymakers, and visitors can work together to limit the amount of trash reaching our Bays and coast.
