A dive to declutter Boothbay Harbor

Buzz Scott and Matt Louis have recovered 607,000 pounds of marine litter from the Gulf of Maine through multiple cruises for OceansWide, a nonprofit organization focused on removing abandoned fishing traps from the ocean floor.

They document every bit of bycatch, measuring lobsters, crabs and larger fish before releasing them. Last week, for example, they discovered a sea star and made a special note of it. Sea stars prey on mollusks, particularly oysters, so tracking their sightings along the coast is beneficial.

“Old traps still catch animals,” said Louis, describing them as a “self-baiting” system where creatures that enter are followed by a sequence of larger predators, resulting in unintentional habitat. 

These divers are working to tackle the state’s “ghost gear” problem. 

Abandoned fishing gear threatens wildlife, habitats and the economy. Referred to as “ghost fishing,” this debris continues to entangle and kill fish and crustaceans while damaging sensitive ecosystems, such as seagrass beds.

“This stuff accounts for 10% of trash in the world’s oceans,” said Scott. ‘We never blame the fishermen, as they want to keep their gear. It can break from overuse, get caught in propellers in busy areas, or be torn away during storms.” 

Operations in Boothbay Harbor will continue until Nov. 23, when the vessels return to Rockland. The team hosted The Times Record on Nov. 15 for one of its final dives, showcasing work that could soon gain global recognition.

Lobsters, sea squirts, and one lone golf ball

It was a brisk 47-degree day when a three-man crew — Louis, Scott, and volunteer Rich Obrey — boarded the Hurry Sundown. They were set to cruise from Eastside Waterfront Park to Linekin Bay Resort, where 25 traps marked with orange buoys awaited their arrival for hauling.

Earlier that morning, outfitted in dry suits, air tanks, and fins, the crew lowered themselves into the water and began a 30-foot descent to the bottom. Specks on the vessel’s navigation system identify abandoned fishing traps, but spotting wire traps detached from their buoy lines is even easier underwater. 

Local input plays a role, too. When traps get caught in a moor, fishermen often contact OceansWide for assistance. Doing so saves them $175 on gear and recovery that would otherwise cost upwards of $700. 

The community has helped OceansWide identify hotspots that the crew frequently visits. They either return with usable traps for fishermen or dispose of decayed materials at their processing facility in Gouldsboro or trap crusher on Matinicus.

According to the crew, 20% of collected traps are usable. But how can they determine which ones are salvageable? There are a few indicators. 

Suppose a trap has no buoy line leading to the surface, appears significantly buried or damaged, and has many mussels and sea squirts attached to its mesh. In that case, it’s likely been underwater for an extended period.

Nearing the dive site, Scott pointed to the bright orange buoys on the water’s surface.

“We attached lines to those traps this morning,” said Scott. “Now it’s time to get our workout in.” 

Since lifting traps filled with 150 pounds of sediment is nearly impossible, Louis hurriedly sprays it away with a hose on the vessel. Obrey then swoops in to take photos of the gear and record the number of crustacean and organisms found inside. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Maine Sea Grant Extension fund a significant portion of this project. As such, they require the crew to collect data on the organisms that inhabit the traps.

The 24 lobster traps and one rare shrimp trap contained 11 lobsters, five fish, four crabs, countless mussels, sea squirts, tunicates, barnacles, a sea star, a sea urchin, and a lone golf ball.

“People used to say that abandoned traps create habitats,” said Louis, acknowledging the difference between habitat and healthy habitat. “Species get trapped, sure, but the conditions are unsuitable. Studies show that slipper snails on mesh nets, for example, contain high levels of plastic.” 

OceansWide education programs

Returning to the harbor in muddy coveralls, Louis discussed his work with the nonprofit, which involves educating students on marine litter and the impact of discarded gear.

“I met Buzz at a coffee hour hosted by the University of Maine.,” said Louis, a student at the time. “It was supposed to last an hour, but we spoke for three instead, causing me to miss my next class. We had questions and concerns about the ghost gear issue, so we decided to develop a program.” 

Since 2009, Louis has participated in OceansWide dives up to three times a week during the season, balancing this with his job as a technician for the U.S. Antarctic Program.

“Like a Maine-semester program, we run camps for college kids,” said Louis. “We also offer day camps and residential programs for middle and high schoolers. When developing future initiatives, we always keep the next generation in mind.” 

OceansWide education programs offer hands-on experiences under the guidance of research scientists, archaeologists, and historians. Youth participants explore the past, present, and future of Gulf waters to raise awareness about the treasures they can inherit and the importance of protecting them.

“Usually, we only find modern traps, and the kids wonder why that is,” said Louis. “This raises the question of what materials were used in older traps, whether they decomposed better than modern ones, and if returning to such methods would be feasible.”

According to Louis, 15 million lobster traps have been lost since the 1980s when polyvinyl plastic traps replaced wooden, biodegradable traps. That estimate assumes that roughly 5,000 Mainers have lobster fishing licenses and expects a 10% loss, translating to about 80 traps each year over a 30-year career.

He explained that removing traps benefits the seabed. For instance, removing hazards from the ocean floor can prompt species such as halibut and groundfish to return. 

“We’re not here to blame the fishermen,” said Louis. “Our goal is to reclaim the ocean floor for them.”

From national to global recognition

To date, OceansWide has retrieved over 9,200 traps from its site in Gouldsboro and will surpass the 4,000 trap mark in Boothbay Harbor by the end of the season. 

Midcoast artists occasionally request recovered rope, but more often, the erosion of lobster trap retaining walls makes recycling the metal the only option.

Recently, Scott has begun discussions with the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center about using their 3D printers to transform plastic waste into floats for docks and boats.

“Creating something fishermen could use would be great,” said Scott. “Ideally, repurposing would be better than recycling.”

To help educate the public, the organization recently joined the New England Regional Fishing Gear Response and Removal Team. 

“Understanding is key,” said Scott. “Connecting with others enhances our understanding of big-picture trends..” 

The team also participates in conferences.

As a grantee, Scott attended the 2024 Sea Grant Marine Debris Symposium, held on Nov. 12 – 14 at the NOAA Auditorium and Science Center. 

“There were people from San Diego to the Great Lakes,” said Scott. “We shared our current projects, and what struck me was that our team had gathered more materials than any other group in the country.” 

Abandoned fishing gear is a major threat to wildlife in Hawaii. The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, home to 23 endangered species, receives over 50 metric tons of marine debris annually despite being the world’s largest fully protected marine conservation area.

“There is a need to remove marine debris from both sides of the county,” said Scott. “The key difference is that in Hawaii, the coral reef is shallower, allowing for the retrieval of nets, unlike lobster traps made with more material.” 

At the conference, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP) invited OceansWide to Hawaii to join the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGI), which trains divers from Pacific nations to recover marine debris.

“We are emerging as leaders,” said Scott. “And the demand for this work will only grow. We plan to onboard more volunteers, improve our data collection, and seek future grants.” 

To learn more about OceansWide, visit oceanswide.org. Those interested in volunteering with the team can email buzz@oceanswide.org.  

 

Copy the Story Link