An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 lobster traps go missing in Maine’s coastal waters every year—a staggering loss rate that exceeds any other North American fishery. This "ghost gear" places a significant burden on marine ecosystems, waterfront communities, the food supply, and the fishing industry. For years, these lost traps remained an unseen and largely ignored problem. Previously, conventional wisdom suggested that lost gear simply created additional submerged habitat. Howev