Abandoned Crab Traps
Abandoned crabs traps in our coastal marine and estuarine
habitats are responsible for so-called "ghost fishing" that causes the death of target crab species, nontarget finfish species, such as red drum and spotted seatrout,
and other vulnerable species such as the diamondback terrapin.
Studies have shown that abandoned crab traps can be recovered from the environment and modified to support the development of oyster reefs. Oyster reefs provide a wide range of valuable ecosystem services by improving water quality, by providing habitat for a diverse range of finfish and invertebrates, and by protecting shorelines from erosion.
The objective of the following smart phone application is to gather detailed information on the distribution and abundance of abandoned crab traps along the South Carolina coast, in part to direct future crab trap recovery efforts.
The Marine Debris Tracker application was created by Jenna Jambeck and NOAA's Marine Debris Program.
Use the QR codes below for your Android or iPhone to go to the app store and download this free app or visit Marine Debris Tracker app.
Below are instructions to successfully record your abandoned crab trap information within the application.
- Select the “Track Debris” icon after opening the application
- Select the “Select” icon on the top right corner of the next page and select “Crab/Lobster/Fish Trap Parts”
- Type in a quantity
- Type in a description i.e. abandoned crab trap, visible only at low tide.
- Select “Log Item”
- Select “View and Submit”
- Select “Submit”
- Type in “scdnr” as the username and “crabtrap” as the password ALL LOWERCASE
- Select “Authenticate”
- You should get a message that reads “Success Data Log Successful”
You can still report abandoned crab traps without a smart phone. E-mail us a brief description of the location (GPS coordinates preferred), date, and description of the condition of the crab traps (no floats, dead animals, visible only at low tide, etc.) at crabtraps@dnr.sc.gov
Thank you for your cooperation!