Scientists uncover heartbreaking truth after wildlife thought to be extinct is found: 'A blip in the entire story of this species'

Ocean wildlife is under threat, and human interaction is not much help. Trash left behind by people is polluting the ocean, trapping sea creatures, and killing animals that mistake it for food. 

What's happening?

When marine scientists in Thailand found a colony of a species of sea sponges thought to be extinct, they were disappointed to see many of them were tangled in fishing gear that had been discarded into the Gulf of Thailand. 

Mongabay reported that 10% of all debris in the ocean is fishing gear abandoned in the water. The trash has persisted for decades, trapping and killing sea creatures big and small. These ocean animals are being passively killed in their habitats because of human neglect.

"We rediscovered it conclusively in the Gulf of Thailand, but we're losing them at a rate that means this could just be a blip in the entire story of this species," Rahul Mehrotra, research director at the Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center, said. 

A loosely estimated 640,000 metric tons (around 630,000 tons) of fishing gear are left in the ocean per year. Not all instances of fishing gear disposal are purposeful. A lack of affordable disposal facilities, inadequate regulation and policies, and ineffective methods of gear retrieval play a role in the gross amounts of fishing gear lost to the ocean annually.

Why is sea life important?

Discarded fishing gear in marine habitats is a threat not only to wildlife populations but to humans as well. When creatures big and small are killed by fishing nets, rope, string, and other garbage, entire ecosystems can be damaged.

The results of this can be detrimental to current and future human generations. Without biodiversity, the system of reliance in which we and all living creatures live is disrupted, resulting in a threat to human livelihood. 

People rely on bodies of water for food and oxygen. When we pollute the ocean, we pollute the seafood we eat, and according to Mongabay, discarded fishing gear that traps potential food for us and other marine life becomes useless, as these creatures are trapped, die, and attract predators, which then are trapped, die, and attract other scavengers. This cycle is a waste of resources.

What's being done about fishing gear in the Gulf of Thailand?

Mongabay reports that upon the discovery of discarded fishing gear in the Gulf of Thailand, efforts are being made to clear the gulf of debris. Scuba divers are set to retrieve stray fishing gear and save living entangled animals from their traps. 

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Divers and marine biologists will help fishers recycle old equipment in an effort to prevent gear from being discarded in the vast wild habitat that is the ocean. Mongabay said recycling is not enough. Policies must be reformed and facilities must be updated to solve this global issue.

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