In just two years, the Nationwide Fishing Trap, Removal, Assessment and Prevention (TRAP) program has recovered more than 14,000 derelict fishing traps weighing almost 600,000 pounds, supported more than 135 jobs and documented nearly 36,000 animals caught in “ghost traps” in 15 states. Through the program’s third round of funding, William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Batten School is building on that impact by announcing 11 new projects across seven states. The latest round of competitive subawards will provide approximately $1.24 million for projects in Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and California that are expected to remove another 15,450 traps, while creating and sustaining 128 jobs. Supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program and administered by the Center for Coastal Resources Management at VIMS and the Batten School, the TRAP program takes a comprehensive approach to comb...