There's a lot of attention on plastics and trash floating in our oceans, and deservedly so. But there's another item out there causing harm under the sea: “ghost nets”. Fishing equipment that's been lost, discarded, or otherwise left behind to spend eternity underwater. 

The problem is that these nets continue to do what they were meant to do well after their commercial lifespan, which is to trap marine life. “They become indiscriminate killers, ensnaring everything from fish to larger whales, dolphins, turtles, and sharks.” The impact is altering the natural food chain and even impacting vital coral structures. 

One challenge is that many states or municipalities charge fishermen a fee for waste disposal of these nets. To avoid the fee, people are simply “cutting bait” and moving on, leaving the nets (which today are made of synthetic materials intended to last a long time) behind to wreak havoc underwater. 

It's time to rethink how we dispose of these nets, or recycle them, so that biodiversity in the oceans can prevail.