Fishing netA fishing net or fish net is a net used for fishing. Fishing nets work by serving as an improvised fish trap, and some are indeed rigged as traps (e.g. fyke nets). They are usually wide open when deployed (e.g. by casting or trawling), and then close off when retrieved to engulf and trap fish and other aquatic animals that are larger than the holes/gaps of the net, as well as many unwanted bycatches due to the underwater area a net can cover.
Sea turtleReptiles of the superfamily ChelonioideaSea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and olive ridley. Five of the seven species are listed as threatened with extinction globally on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Marine debrisMarine debris, also known as marine litter, is human-created solid material that has deliberately or accidentally been released in seas or the ocean. Floating oceanic debris tends to accumulate at the center of gyres and on coastlines, frequently washing aground, when it is known as beach litter or tidewrack. Deliberate disposal of wastes at sea is called ocean dumping. Naturally occurring debris, such as driftwood and drift seeds, are also present.
DolphinA dolphin is any one of the 40 extant species of aquatic mammal from the cetaceanfamiliesDelphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the brackish dolphins), and the probably extinctLipotidae (baiji or Chinese river dolphin).
BuoyA buoy (; ) is a floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with ocean currents. HistoryThe ultimate origin of buoys is unknown, but by 1295 a seaman's manual referred to navigation buoys in the Guadalquivir River in Spain. To the north there are early medieval mentions of the French / Belgian River Maas being buoyed.
Plastic pollutionAccumulation of plastic in natural ecosystemsPlastic pollutionPlastic pollution affects seas, beaches, rivers and land (clockwise from top left): Olive ridley sea turtle entangled in a ghost net in the MaldivesPlastic pollution of Sharm el-Naga beach, near Safaga, EgyptPiles of plastic waste on the government-authorized "garbage island" of Thilafushi, MaldivesA tributary of the Wouri River in Douala, Cameroon, completely clogged with plastic.
SeabirdSeabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations. The first seabirds evolved in the Cretaceous period, while modern seabird families emerged in the Paleogene.
DugongSpecies of marine mammalThe dugong (; Dugong dugon) is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), was hunted to extinction in the 18th century.
CrocodileFamily of large reptilian carnivoresA crocodile (familyCrocodylidae) or true crocodile is a large, semiaquaticreptile that lives throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia.
CrabCrabs are decapod crustaceans, either the Brachyura (the "true crabs") or various groups within the closely related Anomura (hermit crabs and allies), characterised by having a heavily armoured shell, their tail segments concealed under the body, the ability to run sideways, and the habit of hiding in rocky crevices.
FishA fish is an aquatic, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrateanimal with a tough cranium to protect the brain, but lacking limbs with digits. Fish can be grouped into the more basaljawless fish and the more common jawed fish, the latter including all livingcartilaginous and bony fish, as well as the extinct placoderms and acanthodians.
SharkPredatory cartilaginous fishesSharks are a group of elasmobranchcartilaginous fishes characterized by a riblessendoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the divisionSelachii and are the sister group to the Batomorphi (rays and skates).*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.