What has become an epidemic is the growing number of derelict and abandoned boats populating Florida's waterways. In fact, they are increasing faster than they can be removed, leaving hundreds of derelict vessels left to rot, polluting our oceans, waterways, and more importantly, disrupting the local ecosystems. The reason? Simply, the high repair and disposal costs, hurricane damage, or owners just walking away from vessels they can no longer afford. A visit along the coast of Florida easily reveals plenty of these ‘ghost boats’ haunting waterways, as the following images will attest.