Monitoring Technologies for Ghost Gear and Biodiversity:

Implementing a Ghost Gear Removal Program in Federal Waters

general description:

This project, led by the University of Rhode Island and in collaboration with INSPIRE Environmental, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution aims to monitor biodiversity and address ghost gear around the Revolution Wind Farm using multiple technologies. The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation’s role is focused on monitoring and assessing the interaction of marine organisms with ghost gear and implementing ghost gear removals in federal waters.

Offshore turbine structures offer a new challenge in the accumulation and removal of ghost fishing gear within wind farm arrays. The propagation of ghost gear can occur when commercial fishing gear becomes snagged within wind farm arrays, and fishermen are hesitant to retrieve the gear due to safety concerns of drifting too close to the structures. Some recommendations include regular inspections of sites to remove derelict fishing gear that gets snagged or drifts into the wind array sites and accumulates around turbine structures.

This project aims to address ghost gear within the Revolution Wind Farm area south of Rhode Island.

Project Goals:

The ghost gear removal component of this study aims to:

1. Identify areas of ghost gear accumulation around the Revolution Wind Farm

2. Create a ghost gear removal plan that includes a component addressing future work within turbine fields

3. Implement a fishing vessel-based ghost gear removal program in federal waters off the coast of southern New England

project team:

• Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation

  • Susan Inglis - CFRF Project Lead

  • N. David Bethoney

  • Jack Moore

  • Tori Thomas

• The University of Rhode Island - Overall Project Lead

  • James H. Miller

  • Gopu Potty

This Project is Supported By: