Abstract

Spiny lobster trap debris is common in nearshore waters of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). Tens of thousands of traps are lost annually during routine fishing and hundreds of thousands of traps are lost during hurricanes. As such, derelict traps may greatly impact Essential Fish Habitat as they rest directly on top of habitat features and move during storms. To document the distribution and abundance of marine debris in FKNMS, 96 towed-diver surveys were conducted in six historic trap fishery zones in both Atlantic Ocean and Florida Bay habitats, covering 768,000 m2 (76.8 hectares) of seafloor. Trap-related debris accounted for 56.2% of all debris encountered, at a rate of 5.9 trap debris sightings per hectare of seafloor. The dominant form of trap debris was wood slats, followed by cement slabs, and intact traps. Rope, which was likely but not exclusively from traps, accounted for 20% of all debris. Coral reefs had the highest accumulation of trap debris per survey area, followed closely by hard bottom. More trap-related debris was found per survey area on Atlantic Ocean habitats versus Florida Bay. The prevalence of spiny lobster trap debris in FKNMS identifies a specific user group and activity to be targeted for education, debris prevention programs, or management action. The widespread distribution of trap debris throughout FKNMS would impede retrieval in any type of removal program. Efforts to reduce the amount of debris through better fishing practices or reductions in the number of traps used in the fishery may be more suitable.

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