Study seeks origins of ghost nets that haunt Hawaii s shores
CALEB JONES, Associated Press
FacebookTwitterEmail 29
1of29Hawaii Pacific University graduate student Drew McWhirter, left, and Raquel Corniuk, a research technician at the university s Center for Marine Debris Research, pull apart a massive entanglement of ghost nets on Wednesday, May 12, 2021 in Kaneohe, Hawaii. The two are part of a study that is attempting to trace derelict fishing gear that washes ashore in Hawaii back to the manufacturers and fisheries that it came from.Caleb Jones/APShow MoreShow Less
2of29Ghost nets and other debris sit in a shed at Hawaii Pacific University s Center for Marine Debris Research on Wednesday, May 12, 2021 in Kaneohe, Hawaii. Researchers are conducting a study that is attempting to trace derelict fishing gear that washes ashore in Hawaii back to the manufacturers and fisheries that it came from.Caleb Jones/APShow MoreShow Less
Following months of care, the SeaWorld Rescue team has returned five sea turtles to the ocean at Pineta Beach, Fla. Ghost nets from unknown origins drift among the Pacific s currents, threatening sea creatures and littering shorelines with the entangled remains of what they kill.
Lost or discarded at sea, sometimes decades ago, this fishing gear continues to wreak havoc on marine life and coral reefs in Hawaii.
Now, researchers are doing detective work to trace this harmful debris back to fisheries and manufacturers and that takes extensive, in-depth analysis on tons of ghost nets.
The biggest concern is that derelict gear keeps killing fish and other wildlife, such as endangered Hawaiian monk seals, seabirds and turtles long after it s gone adrift, said Drew McWhirter, a graduate student at Hawaii Pacific University and one of the study’s lead researchers.
May 27, 2021 Share
HONOLULU “Ghost nets” from unknown origins drift among the Pacific’s currents, threatening sea creatures and littering shorelines with the entangled remains of what they kill.
Lost or discarded at sea, sometimes decades ago, this fishing gear continues to wreak havoc on marine life and coral reefs in Hawaii.
Now, researchers are doing detective work to trace this harmful debris back to fisheries and manufacturers and that takes extensive, in-depth analysis on tons of ghost nets.
The biggest concern is that derelict gear keeps killing fish and other wildlife such as endangered Hawaiian monk seals, seabirds and turtles long after it’s gone adrift, said Drew McWhirter, a graduate student at Hawaii Pacific University and one of the study’s lead researchers.
Study seeks origins of ghost nets that haunt Hawaii s shores centralmaine.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from centralmaine.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.