Harbor seal made from a big tangle of fishing line, rope, hooks, and nets found on Sandy Hook’s North Beach last week. The mass is full of organic debris and it’s easy to see how this “ghost gear” entangles marine life.

The waters off the coast of NY and NJ were once dumping grounds for medical waste and sewage, but thanks to conservation efforts, they now support marine life like humpback whales and harbor seals. 

Here’s hoping for similar changes to address the plastics in the world’s ocean.