Deepwater coral symposium

Don McAllister mcall at superaje.com
Fri Aug 4 08:58:55 EDT 2000


REPORT ON THE
FIRST INSTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON DEEP SEA CORALS
JULY 30 - AUGUST 3, 2000, HALIFAX, CANADA

The symposium was very well organised and a great success.  About 120
persons attended from numerous countries and their were papers from
Norway, UK, Germany, Holland, Australia, USA, Canada, including
government, university, environmental and fishing organisations, as well
as individual fishers.

Many presentations expressed views that:

*  Deepwater corals comprised significant habitat for commercial fishes,
documented by data and videos

* That biodiversity levels were higher in deepwater coral aggregations
than in adjacent areas. documented in data and videos

* That fishing gear, especially trawls, were damaging deepwater corals.
This was documented in data and videos.

* That more research is need on where these corals were found, their
life history (especially larvae), and taxonomy.

* That individual deepwater corals reach ages measurable in centures

* That some corals, such as Lophelia, do form reefs which build up a
platform of broken or deceased corals underneath them and that such
reefs can reach ages measurable in millennia

* That these ecosystems are in need of conservation through establishing
marine protected areas including areas on the high seas beyond national
boundaries and that curtailment of fishing on coral aggregations or
switches/changes to fishing gear are needed.

don
Don McAllister



More information about the Coral-list-old mailing list