Happy Monday Spacefish!

As we get back to school this week, I wanted to do something a little different. Usually when I sit down to write one of these reports, we’re talking about fishing. Maybe it’s what the snook are doing, a lure I’ve been throwing, somewhere I’ve been exploring in the kayak, or some new piece of fishing gear I probably don’t actually need.

But none of that matters very much if we don’t take care of the water where we do it. That’s why I want to introduce Spacefish readers to Space Coast Water Sweep, a local, Florida nonprofit working to protect our local waterways through marine debris removal, derelict crab trap recovery, reporting, mapping, education, and most importantly; getting regular people involved.

Their next major effort is called Trap the Trash, and I think it’s something the Space Coast fishing community should know about.

10 Days. 9 Events. 1 Mission.

Trap the Trash is being organized around Florida’s blue crab trap closure, but this isn’t simply a one-day cleanup where volunteers fill some garbage bags, take a group picture and go home. Space Coast Water Sweep wants to locate, document, map, and remove lost and abandoned crab traps and other marine debris from our local waterways.

These abandoned traps are more than just an eyesore. Lost traps can remain in the water long after they’re no longer being actively fished. They can continue catching marine life, damage sensitive habitats like seagrass, add to the lagoon’s marine debris problem, and potentially create hazards for boaters.

But here’s the part of the project that really caught my attention: they don’t just want to remove the traps. They want to learn from them. Where are they being found? Where does debris tend to accumulate? Are there areas of the lagoon that consistently collect more debris than others? Instead of treating every cleanup as an isolated event, Space Coast Water Sweep is trying to collect information that can make future cleanup efforts more targeted and effective.

We Don’t Just Clean the Water. We Find What the Water Hides.

That philosophy is also driving something called Project Lagoon. Space Coast Water Sweep is working toward incorporating mapping, sonar, underwater survey equipment, and community reports to locate debris, including things sitting beneath the surface that most of us would never know were there. Their slogan sums it up pretty well:

“We Don’t Just Clean the Water. We Find What the Water Hides.”

As an angler, I love this concept because fishermen already understand how much of the story of a body of water exists beneath the surface. We study bottom contours. We look for grass. We notice current, depth changes, structure, bait, birds, and anything else that gives us a clue about what’s happening underwater. Space Coast Water Sweep is essentially asking us to use some of that same awareness to help the lagoon.

You Don’t Need a Boat to Help

This might be the most important thing for people to understand. You don’t need a $70,000 bay boat, or any boat at all, to participate.

Boat captains and their crews can take part in authorized recovery efforts. Kayak and canoe anglers can help reach shallow areas larger vessels can’t easily access. Volunteers are also needed on land to receive recovered material, organize debris, take photographs, document findings, and help with event logistics. There’s also an even easier way to contribute… Keep your eyes open.

If you’re fishing, boating, paddling, or spending time along the waterfront and see what appears to be an abandoned crab trap or marine debris, you can report it through the Space Coast Water Sweep reporting system.

There’s an important distinction here: Report it, don’t remove it yourself. Crab trap removal is regulated, and Space Coast Water Sweep’s recovery efforts are conducted under the appropriate authorization. Your job can simply be helping them find it.

Think about how many fishermen are on the Indian River Lagoon, Banana River, Mosquito Lagoon, and surrounding waterways every week. That’s a pretty impressive surveillance network if we actually put it to work.

Kayak Give-Away

Space Coast Water Sweep is giving people another reason to get connected with the project.

Download the free Space Coast Water Sweep app and make sure you register, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a Bonafide SKF117 kayak. Registration is free, and you don’t have to attend an event or be present at the drawing to win. The drawing will take place during the Ghost Trap Rodeo.

Whilst I’m certainly never going to argue against the possibility of winning a free kayak, the app has a much bigger purpose. Users can report what they see on the water, explore maps and environmental information, find cleanup events, learn more about local waterways, and become part of the network helping Space Coast Water Sweep identify potential problems. The organization is also participating as a co-sponsor with Ocean Aid 360’s Ghost Trap Rodeo, expanding the effort and bringing additional attention to the problem of abandoned fishing gear.

The Lagoon Needs More Eyes on the Water

One thing I’ve learned from spending countless hours fishing the Indian River Lagoon and surrounding waters is that you start noticing things. You notice when grass disappears, you notice when the water looks different.

You notice trash tucked into mangroves, fishing line wrapped around branches, abandoned gear, damaged habitat, and things floating; or sometimes barely visible, where they shouldn’t be. Anglers are uniquely positioned to notice those changes because we’re already out there. That’s what I like most about the idea behind Space Coast Water Sweep.

You don’t have to become a marine biologist. You don’t have to start a nonprofit. You don’t have to own a boat or dedicate every weekend to conservation work. Maybe you captain a recovery boat. Or, maybe you paddle a kayak into shallow water; maybe you spend a few hours helping volunteers on land. Or, maybe you report an abandoned trap you spotted while chasing redfish; or maybe you simply share the project with somebody else who spends time on the water. It all counts.

Trap the Trash isn’t intended to end when the big event is over. Space Coast Water Sweep works throughout the year on marine debris removal, derelict crab traps, reporting, and mapping. Events like this allow them to put more people on the water, remove a significant amount of debris, gather information, and hopefully bring more people into the mission.

As fisherfolk, we spend a lot of time talking about what the Indian River Lagoon can give us. Redfish. Snook. Seatrout. Tarpon. Sunrises. Quiet mornings. Occasionally, the kind of fish story nobody at work is going to believe on Monday. Maybe every once in a while, it’s worth asking what we can give back.

10 days, 9 events, 1 mission. Together, we can sweep the water clean. To volunteer, register for Trap the Trash, report marine debris, download the app, or learn more about Space Coast Water Sweep, visit: Space Coast Water Sweep — Trap the Trash:
https://spacecoastwatersweep.com/CrabTrapEvent

kayaks by Bo