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Scallop Discos: Technique Using Lights Could Lead To More Sustainable Fishing : Short Wave Scientists in the UK have discovered that if they take a pot meant for catching crabs and just add some bright lights, scallops flock through the door like it's Studio 54. Scallops are normally fished via trawling or dredging—methods that can cause lasting damage to delicate seafloor ecosystems. So this accidental discovery (the lights were initially added to attract crab) could have a significant impact on scallop fishing. We talk with one of the scientists, Robert Enever of Fishtek Marine, a company that creates sustainable fishing gear, about this collaboration between science, industry and conservation.

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Short Wave

'Scallop Discos': How Some Glitzy Lights Could Lead To A Low-Impact Fishery

'Scallop Discos': How Some Glitzy Lights Could Lead To A Low-Impact Fishery

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UK scientists discover that bright lights in crab pots make scallops flock through the door like it's Studio 54. Maria Valladares/NOAA/Flickr hide caption

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Maria Valladares/NOAA/Flickr

UK scientists discover that bright lights in crab pots make scallops flock through the door like it's Studio 54.

Maria Valladares/NOAA/Flickr

Scientists in the UK have discovered that if they take a pot meant for catching crabs and just add some bright lights, scallops flock through the door like it's Studio 54. Scallops are normally fished via trawling or dredging—methods that can cause lasting damage to delicate seafloor ecosystems. So this accidental discovery (the lights were initially added to attract crab) could have a significant impact on scallop fishing. We talk with one of the scientists, Robert Enever of Fishtek Marine, a company that creates sustainable fishing gear, about this collaboration between science, industry and conservation.

We talk with the lead scientist, Robert Enever of Fishtek Marine, a company that creates sustainable fishing gear, about this collaboration between science, industry and conservation.

See the tweet below for the eureka moment from Rob and his team. Please note that strong language is used in this clip.

Have other ideas for great marine science stories we should look into? Drop us a line at ShortWave@NPR.org.

Follow Short Wave on Twitter @NPRShortWave for more on everything science.

This episode was produced by Thomas Lu, edited by Gabriel Spitzer, and fact-checked by Rachel Carlson. The audio engineer for this episode was Stu Rushfield. Gisele Grayson is our senior supervising editor. Beth Donovan is our senior director and Anya Grundmann is our senior vice president of Programming.