Crab pot cleanup

On a sunny day in late September, songs from Earth, Wind and Fire drifted from the sound system of Gail Kelso's pontoon boat as she and her three close friends volunteered with the University of Delaware to collect lost or abandoned crab pots in the Indian River.

The volunteer effort was part of continued work by UD's Delaware Sea Grant to identify or collect lost or abandoned crab pots throughout Delaware waterways. These pots pose both environmental and navigational risks as they litter the seafloor, damage boat propellers and trap marine life.

The event was led by Brittany Haywood, coastal ecology specialist, and Art Trembanis, professor in UD's School of Marine Science and Policy. Fifty volunteers, including UD students, faculty and staff, members of the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), and the general public scooped 120 crab pots out of Indian River, which is the most ever pulled out of a waterway during an event.