AI Hunts 50,000 Tons of Ghost Nets Polluting Oceans Yearly

Rahul Somvanshi

Ghost nets silently murder marine life as 50,000 tons of abandoned fishing gear sinks into ocean depths each year.

Photo Source: GRID-Arendal (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

These mesh monsters make up 30% of ocean plastic waste, splitting into toxic microplastic fragments over centuries.

Photo Source: Sébastien Vincon (Pexels)

Microsoft AI and Accenture joined WWF Germany to create GhostNetZero.ai, turning sonar scans into net-hunting tools.

Photo Source: Bryan Jones (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Smart algorithms spot deadly nets beneath waves with 90% accuracy by scanning maritime navigation data.

Photo Source: NOAA's National Ocean Service  (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The AI tech differentiates real ghost nets from underwater cables, making detection faster than human inspectors.

Photo Source: Fotologic (CC BY 2.0)

Massive data volumes from mapped seabeds transform detection completely," says WWF Germany's research diver Gabriele Dederer.

Photo Source: NOAA's National Ocean Service (CC BY 2.0)

Before AI stepped in, WWF Germany pulled 26 tons of deadly mesh from Baltic waters through manual scanning.

Photo Source: NOAA Marine Debris Program  (CC BY 2.0)

Research institutes and wind energy companies can now share sonar data through this online ghost net tracker.

Photo Source: Damir K (Pexels)

As AI leads the hunt for lost nets, stopping fishing gear losses becomes vital for ocean survival.

Photo Source: Pew Nguyen (Pexels)