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Abandoned, Derelict and At-Risk Vessels

Abandoned and derelict boats or vessels are a major problem in the coastal areas of Miami-Dade County, and especially within Biscayne Bay. Derelict vessels are defined as any vessel that is in a wrecked, junked, or substantially dismantled condition upon the public waters of the State. Abandoned and derelict vessels pollute the water, damage marine resources, threaten boater safety and cost Florida taxpayers millions of dollars each year in removal and disposal costs.

DERM partners with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and other marine law enforcement agencies to document and remove derelict vessels and identify the responsible parties to hold them accountable.

Vessel removal and disposal work in Miami-Dade County has been funded by the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and the Biscayne Bay Environmental Enhancement Trust Fund.

A 33’ sunken powerboat almost entirely submerged in Biscayne Bay south of the 79th Street Causeway. Unmarked and unlit at night, it was an extreme hazard to boaters.

A 40’ wooden trimaran, crammed with its owner’s belongings, lies abandoned in shallow water near Dinner Key. It later broke up in a storm, scattering its contents over a wide area of bay bottom and destroying sensitive seagrass habitat.

A 27’ fiberglass sailboat, stripped of its rigging, hard aground in a seagrass meadow near Matheson Hammock. The vessel left a scar in the seagrass over 300 feet long before coming to rest within yards of the mangrove shoreline.

Compliance & Enforcement