Caring for Coastlines and Creating Memories

The Space Coast is an increasingly popular tourist destination in Florida.  Seventy-two miles of coastline provide more than 180 public access beaches, some of the most beautiful shorelines in the state. Visitors drawn to the Space Coast’s beaches were responsible for over $24 million worth of Tourist Development Tax (TDT) in 2022. To encourage visitation, the Brevard County Tourism Development Office allocates portions of the TDT into several grant programs that aim to enrich and improve the destination. Reinvesting this money to both foster tourism and work to improve the health of local ecosystems is essential.

Aerial of four surfers walking down beach golden sand and turquoise water

In 2023 the Space Coast Office of Tourism conducted an survey called the Beach Sentiment study. It determined that beach quality was the most important factor in choosing a beach destination amongst respondents. Beach quality was defined as, being trash-free, quiet, soft sand, and clear calm waters. Maintaining quality beaches is a hefty task for coastal communities, but a necessary one to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors, and also to preserve and conserve the habitats and life cycles of the native and migratory wildlife.

While a steady increase in visitation is good for the economy, it sometimes takes a toll on the environment. According to Tammie Lizon, the Interim Executive Director at Keep Brevard Beautiful (KBB) an estimated 1.85 million pounds of trash was collected by the organization from roads and waterways on Florida’s Space Coast in 2023. KBB, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, has been active for 42 years and has become one of the largest affiliates in the state of Florida.  The organization focuses on educating the community about litter prevention, recycling, and beautification efforts by organizing clean-ups with volunteers.

While people prefer a clean beach, native wildlife need them to survive. Littered beaches make the sea turtle’s journey difficult and dangerous. According to Sea Turtle Healing Center Manager Shannon Gann, “Boating interactions and marine debris ingestion/entanglement are the main reasons sea turtles arrive at the Healing Center.” Discarded plastics develop into a substantially more serious threat as they break down and become microplastics. Gann further explains, ”Scientific studies indicate that beach sand mixed with microplastics could cause temperature fluctuations extreme enough to alter the gender and/or the hatching success of developing eggs.”

Trash in our ecosystems is a major problem that doesn’t have a clear solution, but we continue to seek innovative answers. One of KBB’s most impressive tools is a beach-cleaning robot called BeBot (funded by the Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation license plates). BeBot is a solar-powered, remote-controlled robot that  mechanically sifts sand (32,000 sq.ft. per hour) removing microplastics. While it certainly does a remarkable job of cleaning sand, its main purpose is to educate beachgoers on the impact of litter.

Using TDT revenue to provide grants to organizations like KBB, we are able to ensure that our coastline, waterways and natural spaces are being cared for. The passionate individuals and organizations that participate in cleanup operations are dedicated to preserving and conserving ecosystems and the animal populations that inhabit them, while also making the Space Coast a healthy and enjoyable place to live and visit.

This article originally appeared in the 2023 Tourism Journal, published by the Space Coast Office of Tourism . You can view the complete article in the online version of the 2023 Tourism Journal  or request a hard copy of the 2023 Tourism Journal  be sent by mail. Print quantities are limited.

2023 Space Coast Tourism Journal cover with photo of beach boardwalk and lifeguard tower in background