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Crab Pot Problems: Interning with Delaware Sea Grant

Written on: September 16th, 2024 in Education, Wetland Research

By Elizabeth Long, Delaware Sea Grant

Hi everybody! My name is Elizabeth Long, and for the past few months I have been working with Delaware Sea Grant as their Marine Debris intern! I graduated from Muhlenberg College in 2021 with a BS degree in Biology. After graduation, I moved out to Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California and worked as an outdoor educator. After leaving California, I was hoping to move back to the east coast, and was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to work with Delaware Sea Grant under their Coastal Ecology Specialist, Brittany Haywood. This was definitely a summer of learning!

The purpose of my internship was to investigate the problem of derelict crab pots in the Delaware Inland Bays. I grew up crabbing at the Jersey shore, but prior to this internship, had no idea that derelict crab pots were such a big problem, not only here, but in crab fisheries worldwide. Derelict crab pots are pots that have been abandoned or lost, usually through boat strikes, storms, or vandalism. A huge part of the problem created by these discarded pots is that they continue to trap organisms, known as “ghost fishing”. In blue crab fisheries, the most commonly ghost fished organisms are crabs, diamondback terrapins, and fish. Despite being a recreation-only fishery, it’s estimated that there are over 30,000 derelict crab pots in the Delaware Inland Bays. It’s definitely worth reading up on ghost fishing in the Inland Bays, so gather some background information on another guest blog feature from Delaware Sea Grant.

I personally became very interested in ways to reduce ghost fishing once pots have become lost. Currently, Delaware requires bycatch reduction devices (BRDs), also known as turtle excluder devices (TEDs) to be installed on all funnel entrances of a commercial-style crab pot. While not required, it is also strongly recommended to have cull rings installed on your trap, which allow for the escape of undersized crabs and small fish. I’m currently wrapping up my internship with a research project to test whether crabs have a preference as to the location of escape options in crab pots. This work could hopefully inform decisions about where escape panels or cull rings should be located should they become required in Delaware!

I also had the opportunity to help out with Delaware Sea Grant’s crab pot refurbishment workshops. The purpose of these events is to provide community members the opportunity to learn how to fix up their old or broken crab pots, and to learn about crabbing in Delaware. Locals bring their pots, and we show them how to install bycatch reductions devices, cull rings, and new line and bungees. These events always bring out people excited to learn. If you have a crab pot that needs a little love, the next refurbishment workshop is on September 27^th at the Marina at Peppers Creek in Dagsboro, Delaware.

Other exciting moments from this summer included opportunities to help out in the field! First, I got to assist the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays with widgeon grass seed planting for a restoration project. I also assisted the DNREC Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program with annual transect monitoring of marsh health by looking at vegetation composition, elevation, and herbivory. These days in the field were hot and muddy, but super rewarding! It was great to get hands-on experience with the awesome work happening around the Inland Bays. Overall, I had an awesome summer working with Delaware Sea Grant and am looking forward to whatever comes next!

Looking to find out more about Delaware Sea Grant and their partners in the environmental world? Join us all at the University of Delaware’s Coast Day on Sunday, October 6^th!

Tags: Delaware Inland Bays, Tidal Wetlands