Economic Benefits of Tackling Dirty Shoreline.

PositionBEACHES

Cleaning up beaches could boost local economies in addition to preserving natural treasures and animal habitats. For instance, in Southern California's Orange County alone, the economic benefits of beach cleanup could range from $13 per resident in a three-month period if debris were reduced by 25% to $42 per resident with a 75% drop in plastics and other trash along the oceanfront, according to a study published in Marine Resource Economics. That could mean up to a $46,000,000 boost to the countys economy in just one summer.

This is the first study to compare the amount of ocean debris with the behavior of beachgoers and to calculate an economic benefit to cleaning up those beaches, says Tim Haab, professor of agricultural, environmental, and development economics at Ohio State University, Columbus.

To come up with an estimated benefit, Haab and his coauthors embarked on a two-part study. The work was done in collaboration with the Marine Debris Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Md.

The researchers evaluated the amount of ocean debris on 31 California beaches and found that some were much dirtier than others. Debris includes plastics that wash in from ships, trash that finds its way to shore from rivers, and litter that beach visitors leave behind.

The research team also mailed surveys to randomly selected Orange County residents to learn about which beaches they frequent and what they look for in a good sun-and-surf spot. Information from thousands of beach trips went into the analysis.

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