Protection and Restoration of Deep-Sea Coral and

Sponge Communities Along the Olympic Coast

Marine scientists are finding extraordinarily beautiful and biologically rich deep-sea coral and sponge communities in coastal areas throughout the world. Very few government regulations exist to protect these unique ecosystems. Recent research findings off the Olympic Coast are raising concerns that human activities may be damaging deep-sea corals and sponges in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS).

· A Pew Oceans Commission report (America’s Living Oceans: Charting a Course for Sea Change: A Report to the Nation) identifies fishing gear that drags along the seafloor (bottom trawling) as a major source of damage to deep-sea habitats that are used by marine wildlife, including commercially valuable fish.

· A report by Oceana (Deep-Sea Corals: Out of Sight, But No Longer Out of Mind) highlights recent scientific findings on the abundance and massive destruction of deep-sea corals along the US coast and calls for a prohibition on bottom trawling and other human activities that are destroying deep-sea corals.

· In a letter released to the public (Scientists' Statement on Protecting the World's Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Ecosystems), 1,136 marine scientists and conservation biologists called for the immediate protection of deep-sea corals from bottom trawling and other human activities.

This OCA draft position paper summarizes recent research findings on deep-sea corals and sponges along the Olympic Coast, identifies threats to these deep-sea corals and sponges, and makes recommendations for protecting and restoring deep-sea corals and sponges in the OCNMS.

Deep-Sea Corals in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

During the past decade, marine scientists have become increasingly aware of deep-sea coral and sponge communities hundreds and even thousands of feet below the oceans surface. There is a tremendous diversity of types and sizes of deep-sea corals and sponges, with most growing very slowly and living for hundreds of years. Deep-sea corals, like other corals in shallow water, provide complex habitats for many other marine species, including commercially valuable fish.

The OCNMS has conducted acoustic research that revealed extensive areas of hard-bottom substrate within Sanctuary waters that are suitable for deep-sea coral and sponge communities. During 2004, the OCNMS completed a 22-day research mission to investigate deep-sea coral and sponge communities in the Sanctuary using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to view the seafloor and bottom grabs to collect samples of benthic organisms near hard-bottom habitats. The objectives of the mission included documenting the presence, or absence, of deep-sea coral and sponge communities and evaluating the health of these deep-sea communities.

The research mission found a dense field of stony coral in a rocky area at a depth of 271 meters and several areas with deep-sea sponge communities. The mission also found that a large proportion of the coral beds consisted of dead and broken skeletal remains. Fragments of deep-sea coral were also found on the ocean floor. The bottom grabs revealed that these deep-sea communities serve as important reservoirs of marine biodiversity, with numerous invertebrate phyla represented in the samples.

Threats to Deep-Sea Corals in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

Marine scientists are only beginning to understand the full nature of threats to deep-sea corals in the OCNMS. Preliminary research has found evidence of pulverized deep-sea coral beds in areas of the OCNMS that are currently accessible to bottom trawling and other human activities. As more information becomes available on the scope of damage to deep-sea corals in the Sanctuary, managers will be able to better target protection and restoration activities.

Bottom Trawling: Bottom trawling is the most serious threat to deep-sea coral and sponge communities. New bottom trawling equipment (rollers and rockhoppers) allows trawlers to access rough seafloor areas that were inaccessible in the past. A trawler captures almost everything in its path. Millions of pounds of corals and sponges are removed from the seafloor each year. Unknown, but potentially huge amounts of coral are fragmented, pulverized, and left lying on the seafloor after passage of a bottom trawler.

Communication Cables and Ship Anchors: Any disturbance of the seafloor can degrade or destroy deep-sea coral and sponge communities. Installation and maintenance of multiple intercontinental communication cables (either buried or lying on the seafloor) disturbs many miles of the seafloor today. Repeated anchoring of small and large ships can also disturb the seafloor and degrade deep-sea coral and sponge communities over time.

Deep-Sea Oil/Gas Drilling and Mining: Deep-sea drilling for oil and gas (for exploration or extraction) and deep-sea mining directly disturb the seafloor in areas where these activities are occurring. Drilling muds and cuttings, as well as mine wastes, can be toxic to corals and sponges. Sand and sediments from oil/gas drilling and mining can also travel on currents and smoother deep-sea coral and sponge communities at a distance.

Recommendations

· Research: Research is desperately needed to identify, map, and list all known areas within the OCNMS that contain high concentrations of deep-sea coral and sponge communities. Further research is needed to identify, map, and list all seafloor areas in the Sanctuary that are suitable for deep-sea coral and sponge communities and likely supported such communities before human disturbance. Research is also needed to more fully characterize deep-sea coral and sponge communities and understand the complex relationship between these communities and commercially valuable fish that depend upon them for shelter and food.

· Protection of Existing Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges: The US Department of Commerce should designate known areas of deep-sea corals and sponges within the OCNMS as “habitat areas of particular concern” and regulate bottom trawling and other human activities that degrade deep-sea corals and sponges. Steps should also be taken to increase monitoring and enforcement of these regulations.

· Expansion of Sanctuary Boundaries to Include Deep-Sea Canyons: NOAA should fully examine the potential conservation benefits of including portions of the Nitnat, Juan de Fuca, and Quinault Canyons in the OCNMS. The western boundary of the OCNMS should be extended to include canyon areas where deep-sea coral and sponge communities are found.

Deep-Sea Corals in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

Threats to Deep-Sea Corals in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

Recommendations

Suggested Reading

Scientists' Statement on Protecting the World's Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Ecosystems. February 2004. Marine Conservation Biology Institute. www.mcbi.org.