A marine ecology installation created by Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists from Erub Arts on Darnley Island, Torres Strait, Australia. Made from abandoned fishing nets and recycled plastics, these ghost nets are colourful woven sculptures featuring an outrigger canoe, fish, turtles, squid and jellyfish.

These works show peoples connections to the sea and inspire awareness of ocean pollution, recycling and promote conservation of the marine environment.

A seemingly harmless piece of discarded fishing net, left to drift in the ocean can strangle a sea turtle travelling to its nesting ground. Sharks, fish and other marine life all over the world have also suffered similar fates through entanglement in fishing nets.

“The ocean holds all mankind together, we are all connected by it and we must look after it.”

Florence Gutchen Au Karem Ira Lamar Lu - Ghost Nets of the Ocean exhibition is part of the National Maritime Collection, and has been purchased through the Australian Maritime Foundation with the assistance of the Sid Faithfull and Christine Sadler program supporting contemporary Indigenous maritime heritage in Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait Islands, the Hon Justice Anthe Philippides JA and Peter Dexter AM.