Volunteers recover nearly 5,000 pounds of trash from Gulf of Maine

A nonprofit conservation group that works to help remove trash and plastic debris from the world’s oceans along with volunteers from Maine’s coastal communities recently recovered nearly 5,000 pounds of what is known as “ghost gear” from the Gulf of Maine.

Any fishing equipment, such as ropes, lobster traps, buoys, nets and other staples of Maine’s fisheries can turn into ghost gear after being abandoned, lost or discarded at sea. This marine debris can pose significant risks to sea life, and contributes to the buildup of microplastics in the environment, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There is evidence to suggest that ghost gear also contributes to the buildup of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” in the environment.

The group of local volunteers in collaboration with Ocean Conservancy and the Rozalia Project were able to collect a total of 4,723 pounds of discarded gear and other marine debris from remote islands in the Gulf of Maine during an expedition at the end of June.