Project Summary:

The abundant sunshine and inviting warm waters of the Texas coast offer a unique and memorable coastal experience that attracts both locals and tourists alike. No matter where along the Gulf of Mexico you like to lay down your beach towel, the sandy shores of the Texas coast boast an impressive blend of natural beauty and recreational opportunities. However, the quality of our beaches depends entirely on how we care for them. 

Texas is facing a serious trash pollution problem. In fact, trash accumulates on the Texas coast ten times faster than it does on the coasts of other Gulf states. Texas also has the highest average weight of trash debris per mile surveyed of any state in the nation, according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Ocean Conservancy. 

Pollution and marine debris doesn’t only affect the beauty of our beaches, it also reduces our state’s economic prosperity from the impacts it can have on coastal tourism, funds and capacity spent on litter abatement, and negative impacts on the health of people and wildlife. Houston alone spends roughly $13,390,600 each year, just on litter abatement. Trash pollution also poses a threat to coastal birds that rely on our shoreline ecosystems for their breeding habitat and migratory pathways. Over 600 species of birds have been identified in Texas, the second-most out of any state in the U.S. 

Throughout their years of bird conservation work on the upper Texas coast, American Bird Conservancy realized this issue and partnered with Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and Black Cat GIS to form Stopping Plastics and Litter Along Shorelines (SPLASh) in 2020. SPLASh was created to address the overlapping issues of trash pollution and bird conservation in the greater Houston-Galveston region. Since its inception, SPLASh has been widely successful in cleaning up the Texas coastline, educating young Texans about marine debris and litter cleanup, and collecting data on the amount and impact of trash in the Galveston Bay watershed. In the future, SPLASh aims to expand its programming across the coast and grow its reach to include internal bayous and waterways.

Scroll through the Story Map below to learn more about SPLASh programs and accomplishments:

Project Mission: 

SPLASh is creating a cleaner environment for people, birds, and other wildlife in the greater Houston-Galveston region through community science, education, and outreach. 

Project Impact:

• 3,301 volunteers have removed over 31,920 pounds of trash from 755 acres of beach and bayou habitats.​
• 4,571 students have been reached through educational programming 
• The Gulf Coast region had a gross domestic product (GDP) of $495.7 billion, about 27.9 percent of Texas’ statewide GDP of $1.8 trillion. (Texas Comptroller, 2020)
• 11,907 people have been reached through cleanup events, outreach, and educational programs.

Project Needs:

Stopping Plastics and Litter Along Shorelines (SPLASh) was selected as a Texan by Nature Conservation Wrangler based on the project’s positive impact on people, prosperity, and natural resources. Through the program, Texan by Nature is working with SPLASh to address the following needs:

• Media Visibility to bring awareness to trash management strategies and increase trash cleanup participation.
• Use of SPLASh Educational Resources to increase awareness of marine debris in 4th-12th grade students.
• Diverse partnerships with industry, municipalities, schools, and conservation organizations to expand the adoption of trash management strategies.

Texan by Nature’s Vision and Support:

Texan by Nature (TxN) is working with SPLASh to create standardized, compelling, and collaborative messaging and resources to increase awareness of the importance of litter abatement. Through the Conservation Wrangler partnership, TxN and SPLASh partners will utilize the SPLASh program as a foundation to replicate and amplify impact across the Texas coast and internal waterways.

Contact Texan by Nature at programs@texanbynature.org if you can provide resources, connections, or are interested in partnering and would like to learn more.