Women divers lead ghost gear expedition in Mexico’s Islas Marías Biosphere Reserve
By Geovana Palomino
Abandoned fishing equipment, commonly known as ghost gear, poses major risks to marine ecosystems throughout the world. Discarded nets and lines can ensnare sea turtles, marine mammals, and other vulnerable ocean life. Ghost gear dragging along the seafloor can damage sensitive habitats like coral reefs and mangroves. Floating ghost gear can endanger boaters and damage their equipment. And as they degrade, these items often shed microplastics into the water, making their way up the food chain all the way to human consumers.
To address these many threats, a Seacology project off of Mexico’s Pacific coast is supporting efforts to remove ghost gear from some of the country’s most biodiverse marine areas.
In June, a team of conservationists set out to locate and remove this hazardous material within the Islas Marías Biosphere Reserve. The expedition was led by Sirenas de San Blas, a community-based initiative of women ocean stewards: myself, Laura Sosa, Melissa Nájera, and Andrea Jasso took part. We were joined by Scarlet Vargas and Isabel Cortes from our partner organization Sirenas de Mazatlán. The cleanup was carried out in collaboration with CONANP (Mexico’s government body that oversees national parks and protected areas), Comunidad y Biodiversidad A.C. (COBI), local tourism operators, and other community partners. Seacology provided funding as part of a project to remove ghost gear from both Islas Marias and nearby Isabel Island National Park.
Over five days, the team surveyed María Cleofas Island, San Juanito Island, and surrounding waters using manta tow surveys, snorkeling, freediving, SCUBA diving, and echo sounding to detect fishing debris and assess its impacts on the local marine ecosystems.
The expedition successfully removed about 300 pounds of fishing-related debris, including a nearly 200-pound monofilament gill net, longlines, net fragments, fishing lines, anchors, batteries, and metal components.
Members of the ghost gear retrieval expedition.
The divers collected hundreds of pounds of fishing-related debris.
One of our most significant discoveries was the remains of a vessel that had sunk several years ago. Fishing nets and other debris were found scattered around the wreck site. Following coordination with CONANP personnel and the Mexican Navy, the team carried out a successful recovery operation using snorkeling and freediving techniques, removing a substantial portion of the debris.
Beyond debris removal, the expedition generated valuable information on the distribution and persistence of ghost gear in the region. Among the findings was a heavily encrusted bottom longline. Its condition indicated that it had remained underwater for several months, highlighting the importance of strengthening prevention, monitoring, and recovery efforts.
This expedition also demonstrates the vital role that coastal communities—and especially women—play in marine conservation. Through community science, participatory monitoring, and collaboration with government agencies and partner organizations, the Sirenas de San Blas continue making meaningful contributions to protecting priority marine ecosystems in the Mexican Pacific. The expedition’s results strengthen national efforts to address the impacts of ghost gear, while contributing to healthier oceans and more resilient coastal communities.
Geovana Palomino is the president of Sirenas de San Blas.
Edited by Field Representative Marisol Rueda Flores and Seacology staff