March 2020 - Derelict Crab Pots
The arrival of spring brings with it Chesapeake blue crab season, a favorite in the Mid-Atlantic United States. But while crabbing is an important industry and a cherished pastime, the risk of lost and derelict crab pots looms large in the region’s marine environments, including the waters of the Delaware Inland Bays. In addition to littering the seafloor, derelict crab pots can cause damage to boat propellers and have the potential to “ghost fish,” luring sea creatures into their midst and trapping them.
With funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is collaborating with the University of Delaware and Delaware Sea Grant to not only remove hundreds of derelict crab pots from Rehoboth Bay (one of Delaware’s three Inland Bays), but also to collect information on locally-relevant impacts, which will form the basis of outreach and education to Delaware’s recreational crabbers and boaters.
To learn more about derelict crab pots, visit our pages on the cleanup project here and here, and check out the newest episode of SeaTalk.
Notable Dates
Early March - Public Sessions on Delaware Climate Action Plan. DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal, & Energy will hold three public input sessions the first week of March seeking input on development of the state’s climate action plan. The public input sessions will be held in each of the three counties from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. each evening:
Tuesday, March 3, CHEER Community Center
Wednesday, March 4, Wilmington Public Library
Thursday, March 5, Delaware Technical Community College
March 5 - Delaware Shellfish Growers Forum. The Delaware Shellfish Growers Forum is intended as a meeting for current shellfish aquaculturists and those interested in starting a shellfish aquaculture business to share ideas with each other and with state regulatory agencies. Click here to learn more.
March 5 - Delaware Aquaculture Association Meeting. The Delaware Aquaculture Association (DAA) is a non-profit organization with the primary goal to promote, encourage, and assist in the development of aquaculture in the state of Delaware. Current members include fish and shellfish producers, researchers, extension contacts, high school teachers, students and others. Membership in the Association is open to anyone interested in the advancement of aquaculture in Delaware. Click here to learn more.
March 8 — International Women’s Day. Students at the University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean and Environment’s School of Marine Science and Policy have started one of 17 chapters of the Society for Women in Marine Science (SWMS) around the world.
March 12 - RASCL Coffee Hour. Join Resilient and Sustainable Communities League (RASCL) members and local experts to hear about Delaware's new Climate Action Plan, takeaways from a statewide climate perception survey, and an update on a wetland and buffer ordinance for Sussex County. Click here to learn more.
March 19 — First Day of Spring . The start of the season is marked by the Spring Equinox, when day and night are equal lengths. At the link, the National Weather Service explains, “The ‘nearly’ equal hours of day and night is due to refraction of sunlight. or a bending of the light's rays that causes the sun to appear above the horizon when the actual position of the sun is below the horizon.”
March 22 — World Water Day. World Water Day is about the need for everyone to have access to safe drinking water. At Sea Grant, we believe protecting people and protecting the environment are two sides of one goal: sustainable stewardship of natural resources. Click here to learn more.