Pilot investigation of the origins and pathways of marine debris found in the northern Australian marine environment - summary

Derelict nets are found in large numbers on parts of Australia’s northern shores and particularly within the Gulf of Carpentaria (Figure 1). The direction of the winds and ocean currents at different times of the year influences where and when these derelict nets wash ashore. On the eastern side of the Gulf (Cape York) the derelict nets arrive with the north-west monsoon winds of the wet season (generally November to March) and the easterly-flowing surface water currents. On the western shores of the Gulf (Arnhem Land), derelict nets arrive with the south-east trade winds of the dry season (generally May and September), when surface currents flow west or west-south-west.