More than 4,000 abandoned lobster traps hauled from Long Island Sound in 4 years

A recovery coalition has hauled more than 4,000 abandoned lobster traps from the Long Island Sound since launching four years ago, removing over 200,000 pounds of marine debris for recycling. The group, Lobster Trap Recovery and Assessment Partnership (L-TRAP), includes the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, Save the Sound, Project Oceanology, Remote Ecologist, and local fishermen. Project leaders say the biggest risk posed by lost gear is “ghost fishing,” in which trapped animals die and attract more wildlife, creating a cycle that also interferes with active commercial traps. Justin Susarchick, leading scientific research at Maritime, added that decades of population decline in the region—linked to warming waters, shellfish disease, and possible pesticide pollution—has not yet fully reversed. More than 230 recovery trips are planned for 2027 using new sonar technology funded by a 2023 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant.