Tag: Marine debris

Young artists show creativity in a plea to reduce harmful trash in the ocean

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Student artists from across the country are calling attention to the hazards of human trash that washes into the ocean, killing sea creatures large and small. Each year, hundreds of young artists submit colorful drawings and paintings in the annual Marine Debris Art Contest, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program. I’ve selected a few of my favorite pictures for this page, including one from a young Seattle artist, but you can see all 13 winning entries on the Art Contest Winners page. To enlarge, click […]

Ghost nets still fishing in the deep waters of Puget Sound

Derelict fishing gear with animal carasses found by the USFWS Puget Sound Coastal Program. Photo: Joan Drinkwin/USFWS https://flic.kr/p/8TX8CQ (CC BY 2.0)
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Lost and abandoned fishing nets, which have killed millions of sea creatures in Puget Sound, still lurk in deeper, darker waters, where they continue to catch fish and crabs. But the quiet, unregulated killing has been quelled substantially since 2002, as divers have pulled up nearly 6,000 of these so-called “ghost nets.” The challenge for the future is to find and quickly remove newly lost nets, while going after the difficult-to-remove nets still fishing in more than 100 feet of water. Programs are moving forward on both fronts. Read the […]