Abstract

Ghost fishing is an extremely harmful yet common phenomenon to many marine animals and ecosystems. It is usually a byproduct of improperly discarded fishing gear such as nets which are thrown in the water and get entangled with organisms and ecosystems. These nets may get entangled with and lethally harm sea turtles, whales, large fish, and may even destroy or damage ecosystems such as coral reefs. In an effort to reduce the harmful effects of ghost fishing on the Coast of Cape Cod, I will partner with WHOI and the Center for Coastal Studies to observe and record the magnitude and location of ghost fishing across Cape Cod. By performing fieldwork alongside their team, I will be able to gather the necessary data on both ghost fishing and the
local fisherman in order to develop my product of biodegradable fishing nets. Once released to the public, this product will hopefully cut down on the harmful effects of ghost fishing as they are able to biodegrade in the ocean before they entrap marine organisms. By working with a development and marketing team to make the product as eco-friendly and affordable as possible,
I will hopefully be able to cut down on the number of harmed organisms in the area as well as the magnitude of the injuries to those who may still be affected. A year after the release of my product, I will perform fieldwork once more with the teams at the Center for Coastal Studies and WHOI to test the products effectiveness.

Introduction

Ghost fishing is an internationally common occurrence where improperly discarded fishing gear gets entangled in marine life, and ends up harming or even killing them. This is a severe issue for many marine organisms such as sea turtles and larger marine animals as they are attracted to the nets, mistaking them as food. Furthermore the discarded nets may even pose a threat to fragile marine ecosystems as they can get entangled in them and destroy their fragile structure (Olive Ridley Project). Ghost fishing is especially dangerous because it is a cycle that repeats in marine ecosystems and continues to harm marine life without human intervention (Hurlock, Class Slide 20 Vertebrates Lecture). Recently however, the Massachusetts State government has enforced legislation to combat this issue by allowing the Division of Marine Fisheries to begin enforcing fines and regulate the overall disposal of fishing nets in an effort to reduce the chances of ghost fishing. By observing the quantity and location of washed up discarded fishing nets, the DMF is able to penalize fishermen by tracking down the ships that most likely left these nets behind. Despite this, ghost fishing remains a large issue especially along the Massachusetts coast as legislation does not directly help the marine life affected by ghost fishing, as it does not stop the root of the issue. Thus, to make a more impactful stance on reducing ghost fishing it is imperative to explore whether introducing fishing nets made of biodegradable material will reduce the magnitude of harmful impact that ghost fishing leaves in marine ecosystems. Gathering data from organizations such as the Center for Coastal Studies, and the Massachusetts DMF would be crucial for completing this analysis. Furthermore, a
partnership with fishing gear producers would also be beneficial for potentially creating solutions such as biodegradable nets.

Research Process

To combat the harmful effects of ghost fishing on the sea turtle population, I will attempt to create biodegradable fishing net alternatives for fishermen to use while pricing them around the same amount as regular fishing nets. These will be composed of biodegradable recycled fibers made of corn, as opposed to the plastic most regular fishing nets are made of, in an effort
to remain sustainable while producing these products. As these nets gain traction and popularity, fishermen across Massachusetts will hopefully opt to use these nets instead of the regular non-biodegradable nets. Biodegradable nets are useful in decreasing the harmful effects of ghost fishing because after they are discarded, they are able to break down and disintegrate in their environment. The reason why regular fishing nets cause ghost fishing is because their structure allows for many marine organisms and ecosystems to get entrapped in it, but with degrading nets they are more likely to break apart before the organisms get entangled in them. Furthermore, as these nets are able to biodegrade, the organisms which may still get entangled in these nets will be able to be free of them once they biodegrade over time. To test this solution’s effectiveness, I would like to compile a data set of how many marine organisms de-entanglement groups from the organizations I am partnering with find from before the introduction of this product to fishermen and compare them to the amount of organisms these groups find after a couple of
years after the product is introduced.

My proposed product of biodegradable fishing nets will hopefully be able to disintegrate in the water after fishermen discard them so that marine organisms will be less likely to be entangled in them. Every day, teams of people from the Center for Coastal Studies set out to find marine animals who are entangled in non-biodegradable nets and set them free. I hypothesize that after the introduction of these nets, the number of animals that they find who are entangled in the net, and the mortality rate of the victims will be lower. Furthermore, due to the material and nature of these new nets, they should be easier to cut off if they do entrap organisms with them. The implementation of this product to fishermen may not be popular at first, but over time it may gain traction with the fishing industry with good marketing and affordable prices.

According to a study published by Save Coastal Fishing, regular fishing nets are made up of plastic, non-biodegradable fibers. These nets are often made this way in order for them to stay durable and cheap to manufacture and for the consumers to purchase. However, because ghost fishing occurs with the improper discarding of these fishing nets, a biodegradable plastic or fiber as a replacement would be more environmentally sustainable for marine ecosystems. In order to achieve this, I would like to work with the most popular fishing net distributors as well as chat with people who work in their manufacturing. I would do so in order to create a tangible product which includes a more sustainable material that would cause less ghost fishing. Furthermore, we would then work out the logistics of the pricing and keep the product attainable for customers. I would also like to partner with the Center for Coastal Studies and WHOI organizations in order to obtain recent and accurate data on the frequency of interactions with marine organisms so I may compare data sets once I perform my analysis of the effectiveness of my product.

The analysis I would perform would include comparing the data sets from both the WHOI and the Center for Coastal Studies. I would choose specific locations out on the sea where they track down any marine organisms that are caught in fishing gear, and collect data on the number of organisms that are caught and the severity of their capture. I would compile a data list over the course of June and July, and revisit the data set after I release my product of affordable biodegradable fishing nets in the winter. After the release of my product, I would then partner with both organizations to compare data sets in order to see if the frequency of entrapped animals in the original locations are the same, or if the amount and severity have changed. To do so, I would require access to boats on the cape for 2 months every year, and the help of the teams at both organizations.

Grant Proposal

Budget:
Travel to Cape Cod (via Bus): $23 per person
Boat rental for 2 months in Cape Cod (2x): 500/hr
Equipment for field work borrowed from the Center for Coastal Studies or WHOI:
– Cutting devices
– Data trackers
– Radars
Wages for Marine Biologists who are helping collect field work: $60/hr
Living fee on the Cape while tagging = $500/week for 2 months for 2 years
Starting cost of partnering with a company to formulate the new ropes:
– $5/kg biodegradable corn based material
– $20,000-$50,000 to start producing the product

In order to fulfill my goal of investigating whether switching to the use of biodegradable fishing materials will decrease the harm of ghost fishing, travel to and from the Cape will be required. In order to conduct the research and field work necessary for the development of such a product, my team and I would need to travel and reside in the Cape for 2 months out of the year, for 2 years. While we are there, the materials we would use for our field work would be borrowed from both organizations we are partnering with. The creation, development, and marketing of the product may be done locally, thus would not be accounted for as a travel fee. While developing the product, the base material costs $5/kg, and the production cost will vary but remain between $20,000 to $50,000.

Timeline:
Collect field data from/with the Center for Coastal Studies and WHOI: 1 month, starting on May
1, 2025
Product research and team development: 2 months, starting on June 1, 2025
Product development and partnership acquirement: 15 months, starting August 1st, 2025
Marketing to fishermen: 1 month, starting November 1st, 2026
Production and distribution: Ongoing, starting on December 1st, 2026
Collect data from and with Center for Coastal Studies and WHOI of field data about the
differences in frequency between the summer and the winter: 1 year, starting July 1st, 2027

Works Cited

“Ghost Fishing: A Cycle of Devastation.” Olive Ridley Project, 28 Aug. 2025, oliveridleyproject.org/what-are-ghost-nets/ghost-fishing-cycle-of-devastation/.

“How Long Does Product Development Take? – Trimech Design.” My WordPress, 29 Dec. 2025, www.makodesign.com/blog/how-long-does-product-development-take/.

“How Much Does It Cost to Introduce a New Product?” How Much Does It Cost to Introduce a New Product?, Components By Design, 15 Aug. 2024, componentsbydesign.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-introduce-a-new-product/.

Hurlock, Sarah. “Vertebrates” Marine Science, Bancroft School. Class Lecture

Division of Marine Fisheries. “Law Amended to Enhance Clean up of Derelict Fishing Gear.” Law Amended to Enhance Clean Up of Derelict Fishing Gear, Mass.gov, 24 Jan. 2025, www.mass.gov/news/law-amended-to-enhance-clean-up-of-derelict-fishing-gear.

“Salary: Marine Scientist (January, 2026) United States.”

Https://Www.Ziprecruiter.Com/Salaries/Marine-Scientist-Salary, ZipRecruiter, 9 Dec.

2025, www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Marine-Scientist-Salary.

“Fishing Line & Nets.” Save Coastal Wildlife,

www.savecoastalwildlife.org/fishing-line-nets. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

“What Is Plant-Based Plastic and How It Works | Tipa.” What Is Plant-Based Plastic?,

TIPA Compostable Packaging, 12 Apr. 2025, tipa-corp.com/blog/what-is-plant-based-plastic/.