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Nonprofit organization
The Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor includes Cocos Islands (Costa Rica), Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Malpelo (Colombia), and Coiba (Panama), and it is essential to marine biodiversity.
Pacific pelagic species rely upon the Pacific Corridor for migratory paths and breeding, and the Corridor contains an incredible variety of endemic species. Illegal fishing in protected marine sanctuaries is an immediate, direct threat to the survival of pelagic species, during and after a catch. Expansive fishing nets and long lines are lost to the sea, where they continue to pose an imminent deadly threat to marine life. Direct action is required to surface dangerous "ghost nets," and to more actively protect life in marine sanctuaries.
Panama Ghost Net unites diverse communities in direct action to clean and protect the waters of Panama. The primary objective is to locate and remove ghost nets in protected marine zones, to eliminate existing urgent threats to marine life. At Panama Ghost Net, experienced technical divers collaborate with local boat captains, local communities, Coiba National Park rangers, fisherman, and recreational scuba divers to locate and remove ghost nets and execute marine rescue operations.
Panama GhostNet Team
A deep reverence for the ocean and marine life unites the international team of Panama Ghost Net. The mission of Panama Ghost Net is crafted by the passion, experience, and expertise of its esteemed leaders, making the promise to put the ocean first in united campaigns to eliminate ghost nets and protect marine life.
Ben J. Harris
Founder, Lead Dive Officer, Trustee
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22 years working as PADI/TDI Diver across every continent.
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Parley For The Oceans Panama Country Coordinator.
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Sea Shepherd Campaign Veteran
Edgardo Ochoa
Diving Safety Officer, Trustee
● Global Marine and Diving Safety Officer at Conservation International
● PADI Anbassador & Specialty Instructor of Ghost Gear Removal
● Edgardo is a scientific diver and dive instructor with more than 4000+ dives to date spanning from Tropical to Arctic Waters.
● He began his underwater career off of the pacific coast of Mexico where he established the Scientific Diving Program at Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR-IPN) in La Paz, México. He later moved to the Republic of Panama to become the diving safety officer for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute where he became the acting scientific diving officer for the Smithsonian Institution. Currently, Edgardo serves as Global Marine & Diving Safety Officer at Conservation International.
● He has published several articles and a book on scientific diving, marine biology, diving safety and diving training.
Gary Stokes
Trustee
● Founder of OceansAsia.org.
● Founder of No Straw Movement
● Sea Shepherd Campaign Veteran.
● Currently heading up the investigations and research for the Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK.
● Formerly the Asia Director for Sea Shepherd Global,
● Specialist on the shark fin industry, shipping/smuggling of wildlife and combating IUU (Illegal, Unreported,Unregulated) fishing along with advocating against plastic pollution in our oceans.
Orlando Godoy
Captain, Trustee
● Orlando is Coiba's most knowledgeable and experienced Dive Boat Captain. Orlando is a veteran captain of over 20 years, working all over Coiba National Park and coastline. Orlando's knowledge of Coiba as a Captain is unparalleled.
Tina Reiterer
Trustee
● Tina is a member of the Executive Board of Sharkproject International, and is a Data Analytics Consultant based in the E.U.
● Tina's areas of focus are: sharks, and transparency and traceability in the seafood supply chain
● Tina served as a volunteer for Sea Shepherd Chile, and for Stop Finning EU
Rebecca Cera
Communications Officer, Diver, Trustee
● Rebecca combines her passion for the ocean with a background in strategic operational and logistical planning to support the mission of Panama Ghost Net.
● Based between the United States and Panama, Rebecca coordinates communications and grant research and writing.
Oona Layolle
Trustee
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Professional Captain with 130,000 miles logged from the Caribbean to Antarctica
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Parley For The Oceans Coordinator
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Sea Shepherd Campaign Veteran and Director of Ship Operations
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Race for the Water Operations manager
Bia Figueiredo
Trustee
● A proficient Marine Scientist based between Australia and Brazil, with 2 decades of experience focusing in Marine ecosystems
● Degrees in Biological Science and Marine Sciences; currently working as a remote expedition guide
● Sea Shepherd Campaign Veteran
Richard Cook
Technical Dive Officer, Trustee
● Based in Panama, Richard is an experienced technical diver with thousands of hours logged and over a decade of experience in Coiba's waters and assisting with ghost net removals.
● Over the years Richard has helped with logistical support for various marine conservation groups transiting the canal on ships, and within Panama.
Tina Reiterer
Trustee
● Tina is a member of the Executive Board of Sharkproject International, and is a Data Analytics Consultant based in the E.U.
● Tina's areas of focus are: sharks, and transparency and traceability in the seafood supply chain
● Tina served as a volunteer for Sea Shepherd Chile, and for Stop Finning EU
Open Source Sharing
Open source sharing of information is central to the mission of Panama Ghost Net. In addition to offering anonymous report channels for time-sensitive information about the location of ghost nets, Panama Ghost Net extends access to its data to the conservation community and public. All information collected by Panama Ghost Net is freely available to reference.