UGA New Materials Institute joins the Global Ghost Gear Initiative

The UGA New Materials Institute has become a member of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, a non-profit organization focused on globally reducing and eliminating fishing gear that is lost, abandoned or discarded in our oceans. Our goal is to work with the GGGI leadership and members to test gear made from our marine-degradable polymers, primarily those derived from polyhydroxyalkanoates. 

Ghost gear accumulates in marine environments, threatening marine life and ocean health. The GGGI brings together multiple communities to seek solutions to end ghost gear, including from the fishing industry, manufacturing and the private sector, academia, governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. 

If you are a member of the global fishing community and would like to learn more about marine-degradable polymers for manufacturing fishing gear, or about the GGGI, please contact us.