Coastal Environmental Awareness

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The Coastal Environmental Awareness Program empowers communities to protect and preserve the Gulf Coast through hands-on science, education, and outreach. By connecting people to their local environment, we support solutions to coastal challenges.

The Coastal Environmental Awareness Program is a community-based initiative focused on increasing public understanding and engagement with the coastal ecosystems of the Gulf Coast. We bring together three core efforts — the "Beachcombing" series, Nurdle Patrol, and Community Engagement — to create a unified platform for environmental education and citizen science.

Through educational beach walks, school presentations, public talks, newspaper articles, radio segments, PBS TV shows, YouTube videos, and interactive booths at community events, we make coastal science accessible and meaningful to people of all ages. Whether it is identifying mysterious beach finds, tracking plastic pellet pollution, or building partnerships with local groups, our program encourages the public to become active participants in understanding and protecting their environment.