Predators, prey and the hope of renewal are implicit themes in ghost net works. Fishing gear, nets and rope commonly called ghost net are being discarded in the Ocean, they continue to fish destroying reef animals. This debris is becoming increasingly more common on our beaches. By creating works made from this material, awareness around scientific

research being carried on crown of thorns starfish, triton shells, corals and sponges at Australian Marine Institute can be showcased in the outdoor environment. The many local and national groups schools and individuals who helped produce components for this large scale work bring local science and research into the public arena in a bold statement making it accessible day and night with the use of subtle fibre optic and led lighting. In this case art is giving science a visible platform in a beautifully crafted yet deadly medium.

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Spiral, creates a dichotomy between two, silent predators, leaving a path of destruction through our North Queensland oceans and tropical reefs They are juxtaposed against the hope represented in the spiral of life.

Destructive fishing gear - ghost net, is discarded and lost, drifting the oceans, continuing to fish destroying reef life. On those same reefs another killer with few natural enemies crawls, consuming live coral. The Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) and its natural predator the giant Triton Snail represent some of the research work scientists at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) are conducting. The artists were captivated by these animals during a residency at AIMS and with the help of AIMS staff developed the idea to produce a work that illustrates the spiral of life, through the skeletal shape of the Triton shell using the rich palette of colour found in the deadly abandoned ghost net.