Fishery bycatch—the accidental entanglement or capture in nets of animals that are not the intended target fish—is a leading cause of injury and death of seals and other marine mammals. Conversely, depredation—the eating of fish from nets by marine predators such as seals—can ruin a commercial fishing catch and cause expensive damage to nets and other fishing gear.

 

To help prevent such costly interactions, WHOI researcher Alex Bocconcelli has teamed up with scientists at the Center for Coastal Studies and local commercial fishers on Cape Cod to find out exactly what happens when seals and other species invade fishing nets to feed. For the first time, the team has been able to capture underwater video of gillnet fishing in the Northeast U.S., catching seals, spiny dogfish, and other predators on camera as they approach and enter the nets.