Watergoats (the threaded, floating buoy structure shown below) help to capture litter before it’s carried by the tides further into our waterways. The netting is safe for wildlife and does not stop water flow.
About watergoats
Watergoats create a barrier that helps to capture litter before it’s carried by the tides further into our waterways. The netting is safe for wildlife and does not stop water flow.
Where does the marine debris come from? Our neighborhoods. Trash that is blown over in the wind or intentionally misplaced trash (i.e.; litter) is eventually scooped by heavy rains and floats down our streets and into storm drains. These storm drain pipes all lead to our waterways.
Debris-collecting watergoats are installed in many locations throughout the Tampa Bay region and are maintained/cleaned out by various entities.
The trapped debris is scooped up by staff and volunteers to be properly disposed of, while collecting valuable marine debris data.
What the watergoats reveal..
This infographic from our first year of collection results (2019) in one of our St. Petersburg watergoats is just a start. The most common culprits are plastic beverage bottles, cigarettes and cigar tips, straws, Styrofoam, grocery bags, and food wrappers.
Did you know...
You can make a difference. Make sure your trash makes it into a proper receptacle and take small steps to reduce your household footprint by choosing reusable items. A great start would be to skip the straw, keep a collapsible to-go container in your bag for your next meal out, or buy that $0.99 reusable grocery bag to keep in your car to replace hundreds of plastic bags.
Email Sara Brehm with questions about this program: sbrehm@tampabaywatch.org