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Uncovering the hidden value of citizen beach clean-ups: a social media-based assessment in Spain.

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Title: Uncovering the hidden value of citizen beach clean-ups: a social media-based assessment in Spain.
Authors: Otero P; Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO, CSIC), Subida a Radio Faro 50, Vigo 36390, Spain. Electronic address: pablo.otero@ieo.csic.es., Cacabelos E; Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO, CSIC), Subida a Radio Faro 50, Vigo 36390, Spain., Ferreira J; ECOBAS, Departamento de Fundamentos de Análisis Económico, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain., Pérez P; Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO, CSIC), Subida a Radio Faro 50, Vigo 36390, Spain., Gago J; Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO, CSIC), Subida a Radio Faro 50, Vigo 36390, Spain.
Source: Marine pollution bulletin [Mar Pollut Bull] 2026 Aug; Vol. 229, pp. 119746. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Apr 17.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 0260231 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1879-3363 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 0025326X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Mar Pollut Bull Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Publication: 2003- : Oxford : Elsevier
Original Publication: London, Macmillan.
MeSH Terms: Bathing Beaches* , Social Media* , Conservation of Natural Resources*, Spain ; Environmental Monitoring ; Ecosystem ; Seashore
Abstract: Beach litter remains a persistent threat to coastal ecosystems, with far-reaching ecological, social, and economic consequences. Although official statistics provide essential information, they frequently overlook the numerous voluntary beach clean-up initiatives led by local associations, schools, companies, and informal groups. This study evaluates the potential of social media as a complementary data source for documenting such activities. Spain was selected as a case study due to its extensive coastline and strong reliance on tourism. Through keyword-based searches and geolocation techniques applied to posts on X and Instagram, we identified 487 beach-cleaning events in 2024, of which 458 (94%) were absent from official registries. These data reveal spatial and temporal patterns not captured by traditional monitoring systems, demonstrating the added value of user-generated content for coastal stewardship assessment. We also estimated the economic contribution of these initiatives from €1.13 to €2.86 million, depending on the approach, representing approximately 0.71-1.80% of Spain's annual public expenditure on beach litter removal. Beyond their measurable economic and ecological value, beach clean-ups promote social participation, environmental awareness, and engagement in marine conservation. Overall, our findings show that social media monitoring can effectively complement official statistics by providing a more comprehensive understanding of the scope and contribution of citizen-led efforts in coastal management and marine-litter mitigation.
(Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Beach clean-up initiatives; Beach litter; Citizen science; Coastal management; Social media; Spain
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260418 Date Completed: 20260613 Latest Revision: 20260613
Update Code: 20260613
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119746
PMID: 42000402
Database: MEDLINE
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  Data: Uncovering the hidden value of citizen beach clean-ups: a social media-based assessment in Spain.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Otero+P%22">Otero P</searchLink>; Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO, CSIC), Subida a Radio Faro 50, Vigo 36390, Spain. Electronic address: pablo.otero@ieo.csic.es.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Cacabelos+E%22">Cacabelos E</searchLink>; Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO, CSIC), Subida a Radio Faro 50, Vigo 36390, Spain.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Ferreira+J%22">Ferreira J</searchLink>; ECOBAS, Departamento de Fundamentos de Análisis Económico, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Pérez+P%22">Pérez P</searchLink>; Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO, CSIC), Subida a Radio Faro 50, Vigo 36390, Spain.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Gago+J%22">Gago J</searchLink>; Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO, CSIC), Subida a Radio Faro 50, Vigo 36390, Spain.
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  Data: Beach litter remains a persistent threat to coastal ecosystems, with far-reaching ecological, social, and economic consequences. Although official statistics provide essential information, they frequently overlook the numerous voluntary beach clean-up initiatives led by local associations, schools, companies, and informal groups. This study evaluates the potential of social media as a complementary data source for documenting such activities. Spain was selected as a case study due to its extensive coastline and strong reliance on tourism. Through keyword-based searches and geolocation techniques applied to posts on X and Instagram, we identified 487 beach-cleaning events in 2024, of which 458 (94%) were absent from official registries. These data reveal spatial and temporal patterns not captured by traditional monitoring systems, demonstrating the added value of user-generated content for coastal stewardship assessment. We also estimated the economic contribution of these initiatives from €1.13 to €2.86 million, depending on the approach, representing approximately 0.71-1.80% of Spain's annual public expenditure on beach litter removal. Beyond their measurable economic and ecological value, beach clean-ups promote social participation, environmental awareness, and engagement in marine conservation. Overall, our findings show that social media monitoring can effectively complement official statistics by providing a more comprehensive understanding of the scope and contribution of citizen-led efforts in coastal management and marine-litter mitigation.<br /> (Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
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