Satellites Capture Impacts of Bottom Trawling

Bottom trawling, a fishing method which involves towing trawl nets along the sea floor, is one of the most destructive human activities on the ocean.

The effects of this practice are for the most part out of sight in deep ocean waters but scientists are looking satellite images to get a better look.

“Bottom trawling repeatedly plows up the seafloor over large areas of the ocean” said Amos. “Until recently, the impact was basically hidden from view. But new tools - especially Internet-based image sites, like Google Earth - allow everyone to see for themselves what’s happening. In shallow waters with muddy bottoms, trawlers leave long, persistent trails of sediment in their wake” said John Amos, president of SkyTruth in Shepherdstown West Virginia.

Get the full scoop at Bottom Trawling Impacts Visible from Space. To see some of the satellite images here, in the Trawling gallery at skytruth.org. You can see the effects of bottom trawling in this LiveScience Video.