'Ghost diving' to protect marine life: Meet the group behind the mission

SAN PEDRO, Calif. (KABC) -- A group of volunteer scuba divers is on a mission to save our oceans from what they call "the silent threat of ghost gear."

Recently, they embarked on a journey at the site of the UB-88 submarine wreck off the coast of San Pedro. The World War II U-boat is covered with what they call ghost nets, which put marine life in danger.

"Ghost fishing is what the nets do because the abandoned nets do what they're designed to do, which is kill," explained Jim Babor, the president and CEO of Ghost Diving USA. "We're ghost divers. We go down and recover this ghost gear, we bring it up and we recycle it. Nothing we recover goes into a landfill."

The eerie U-boat is entangled in nearly 3,000 square feet of old net. Innocent animals are caught in the net, creating what the ghost divers call "a cycle of death."

"A small crab could get caught, then something bigger eats that crab and gets caught, then something bigger eats that, so essentially, it's killing up the food chain," said Norbert Lee, a marine biologist. "We're trying to break that cycle."

Technical divers, marine biologists and underwater clean-up specialists all donated their time Monday as part of the Ghost Diving USA project. For a week, they will be working on removing more than a thousand pounds of marine debris on the submarine.

After the Germans surrendered it, the U-boat was sunk off San Pedro in 1921, now resting at more than 180 feet. At those depths, the water is 50 degrees.

The divers have to wear special dry suits and technical gear to stay warm. Plus, there are the currents. The drivers have to use special scooters to get where they need to go.

Cutting and removing the massive nets takes time and precision. The divers use special lift bags to get the ghost gear to the surface and recycled into carpet and other plastic products.

Ghost Diving USA, a nonprofit organization that's funded through grants and donations, says it aims to transform the nets into a flourishing artificial reef that enhances biodiversity.

"Just seeing a piece of history on it, and with all the debris on it, it's almost like you're cleaning up and you're restoring that wreck kind of to its former glory," said Lee.

They're also creating a safe place so many underwater creatures can call home.

To learn more about Ghost Diving USA's efforts, click here.