Every year, nearly two percent of all fishing gear—covering around 80,000 square kilometers of the world’s oceans—is lost. These so-called ghost nets become deadly traps for more than 340 marine species. Since 2015, WWF has been locating and retrieving ghost nets in the Baltic Sea, and in 2018 it began using side-scan sonar to detect lost fishing gear.
Building on years of work to tackle ghost nets in the oceans, WWF has launched GhostNetZero.AI—a new website that uses artificial intelligence to automatically analyze sonar data and pinpoint spots on the seafloor where ghost nets are likely to be found. It’s a groundbreaking step in addressing this invisible underwater threat.
Sonar Technology Changes Everything
Sonar allows detailed mapping of the seafloor from a ship. Its high resolution can reveal even thin fishing lines, transforming what was once a frustratingly difficult search. Since adopting sonar in 2018, WWF has recovered and removed 33 tons of ghost nets.
AI Transforms the Search for Ghost Nets
Artificial intelligence offers a powerful new tool. Vast amounts of sonar data are collected worldwide—not only by WWF, but also through surveys for maritime safety or offshore wind projects. Could AI automatically process these enormous datasets to pinpoint likely ghost-net hotspots?
The answer is yes. That realization led to the creation of GhostNetZero.AI, publicly accessible since February 2025.
How GhostNetZero.AI Works
GhostNetZero.AI is a global online platform where individuals and organizations can upload their seafloor sonar data. Using advanced AI, the system analyzes the hydrographic data and flags potential ghost nets with 94 percent accuracy.
Specialists then review the flagged sites. Confirmed locations are uploaded to the GhostNetZero app, where divers can inspect them before recovery operations begin.
By reusing existing sonar datasets, AI makes it possible to locate far more potential ghost-net hotspots, prioritize the most affected regions, and inspire new projects to remove this dangerous form of plastic pollution.
A companion citizen-science app further accelerates the process and raises public awareness. Recreational divers can help prepare for retrieval by checking the suspected sites and reporting their findings. Professional teams—sometimes with vessels equipped with winches—then handle the final recovery.
GhostNetZero.AI: working together—efficiently and intelligently—for oceans free of ghost nets.
Weitere Informationen
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Geisternetze aus der Ostsee bergen -
Projektfortschritt Geisternetze -
GhostNetZero App