This redfish and other fish benefit from deep-sea coral reefs in the North Atlantic that are threatened by trawling. Photo: Science AAAS
Tell the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Council to Protect Deep-Sea Corals
This month (January 2015) the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will decide whether and to what extent to protect deep sea corals. The New England Fishery Management Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the adjoining MAFMC to identify deep sea coral areas of consensus and common strategy. However, the Mid-Atlantic region will be first and thus set the bar for the other councils.
The Fishery Council is considering five alternatives to deep sea corals. Alternative 1A is status quo, do nothing and continue with no measures designed specifically for the protection of deep sea corals. Alternative 1B would protect corals at and below 200 meters. The other three Alternatives step down the protection depths to start at 300 meters, 400 meters and 500 meters. Let me take moment to explain why Alternative 1B protect at and below 200 meter is the best amendment.
Last summer Martha Nizinski, Ph.D., and researchers surveyed deep sea corals from Virginia north and east to Maine.[1] A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was lowered into the deep from their ship. They explored canyons that fringe the continental shelf diving 500 to deeper than 3,000 meters.
“We found areas that had corals meters tall,” Nizinski said. “Corals grow very slowly, so those could be hundreds, even thousands of years old.”
Save Deep Sea Corals by signing ORI’s letter to the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council
I recently attended the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council’s presentation by Dr Nizinski on deep sea corals. In the canyons of the mid-Atlantic region they surveyed for corals below 500 meters. Deep-water corals live in total darkness. Absent light, these corals lack the symbiotic algae that produce nutrients to feed shallow water coral. Instead, deep water corals feed themselves by capturing passing food. In the mid-Atlantic region corals were found to favor steep slopes of 30% or more and outcropping peaks – two habitats not conducive for fishing.
Deep sea coral communities are called biodiversity hotspots. They are considered essential habitats for commercially valuable fish stocks. Yet, only redfish were frequently seen with specific deep sea corals. It was, therefore, big news to learn from Dr. Nizinski that deep sea corals were observed with skate and hake. That these two relatively abundant commercially valuable fish were seen with deep sea corals gives hope for the importance of these essential communities for less numerous ground fish populations.
Please sign and comment on our letter urging the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to adopt Alternative 1B – “a broad coral zone would be designated with the landward boundary approximating the 200 meter depth contour. . .” We believe the most essential fish habitats with corals are the shallower slope waters. That fewer corals are found in waters shallower than 500 feet does not mean that the habitat is not suitable for corals. It may instead be indicative of more disturbances by humans. Below 200 meters is up on the continental shelf where most of the fishing occurs.
There is currently no ground fishing in waters more than 200 meters. Alternative 1B would not diminish currently fished areas and would in essence freeze current fishing zones with no add-ons. The far-away canyon waters over 200 meters have outcropping and are steeply inclined. These are areas not easily fished. Let’s give refuge to the fish that dwell with deep sea corals and not disturb the ancient marine life that dwells in waters below 200 meters.
Meanwhile across the Atlantic, Science AAAS reports marine biologist Jason Hall-Spencer of the University of Glasgow, United Kingdom, and two colleagues found large chunks of coral in the catch hauled up by two French vessels fishing off West Ireland. Radiocarbon dating of these fragments indicates the reefs are at least 4500 years old. Although only five of 229 hauls included substantial amounts of coral, Hall-Spencer says the extremely slow-growing coral can’t recover from frequent trawling. http://news.sciencemag.org/2002/02/bulldozing-deep-sea-reefs
[1] Nizinski, Martha. December 10, 2014, Mid Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, Baltimore, MD.
Please consider this important request.
Please save sea corals.
Protect deep sea coral! This is a natural product of such beauty and value to the environment!
You are in a position to help make certain deep sea coral is safe, so please do!
Please adopt Alternative 1B and save our coral reefs before it is too late.
Save these corals!
There is currently no ground fishing in waters more than 200 meters. Alternative 1B would not diminish currently fished areas and would in essence freeze current fishing zones with no add-ons. The far-away canyon waters over 200 meters have outcropping and are steeply inclined. These are areas not easily fished. Let’s give refuge to the fish that dwell with deep sea corals and not disturb the ancient marine life that dwells in waters below 200 meters.
Please, protect these important deep sea areas. The health of the oceans depends on them!
Thank you.
Do the right thing.
Please act on this now!
Our world needs comprehensive agreements regarding fishing, pollution, human rights, worker rights, safety, and many other things. We are at the point were countries need to manufacture concrete structures to drop into the ocean to protect corals.
These corals need to be saved and protected.
Protect deep sea coral.
On Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015, I took my ten-year old grandson, who wishes to become a marine biologist, to the New York Aquarium at Coney Island. We were very impressed with the beauty of the sea corals and their intricate part in ocean ecology. Also, as a college professor teaching Environmental Relation, I understand the many threats to sea corals and the need for protection and the enforcement of those measures. To protect the corals in ocean territory that is most vulnerable to destructive fishing practices, I urge the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to adopt Alternative 1B – “a broad coral zone would be designated with the landward boundary approximating the 200 meter depth contour. . .” Thank you.
Save the coral.
“I cannot permit a fellow being to perish while it is within my power to save him” -Silver Surfer
There is no excuse to destroy something so precious and rare! Please save them!
Save Atlantic Deep Sea Corals!!
Protect our oceans !!!
This action is way overdue.
Protect our oceans!
Please make every effort to protect our oceans and their beauty,as well as the creatures that dwell in the waters.
Please protect our coral
Protect all corals and reef marine life.
We can’t afford to lose any more of our wildlife and their habitat- please!
We need to protect all life forms in our oceans.
Please save these wonderful creatures!
The entire planet needs protection, both on the land and under the sea. Deep sea coral has been under the sea for generations. To destroy it is to see our future destruction. Coral needs to be protected. Please do it.
Save the world’s coral reefs.
We need to protect the deep sea coral.
The thinking (hu)man must oppose all cruel customs no matter how deeply rooted in tradition or surrounded by a halo . . . We need a boundless ethic which will include the animals also. – Dr. Albert Schweitzer
Please protect the corals in ocean territory because they are most vulnerable to destructive fishing practices, I urge the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to adopt Alternative 1B – “a broad coral zone would be designated with the landward boundary approximating the 200 meter depth contour. . .” Thank you.